Return of the Gods
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: In ancient Greece, the world was once brought to the brink of destruction. Seas raged. Skies darkened. Dead walked the earth. Plague and famine consumed all. Even the very earth turned against mankind. The Gods were slain. Slaughtered, by one of their own. Now, thousands of years later, they are returning...but not at all in the way one might expect. Narutoxharem. Slight crossover.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Alright ladies and gentlemen, I'm alive! I've been better given all the problems I've been going through, but I'm still breathing. Still kicking. I've been on a Mass Effect craze as of late as I'm sure you all noticed; its just my way of coping with life atm. Not only has my stupid heart failed on me again, but I've been suffering through the loss of several family members. Add to that the state of my joblessness and the school bills that keep racking up, and I'm in a bit of a tight spot at the moment. Yet here I am, fighting this damned depression, not giving into despair. To all my readers/reviewers who have encourage me in this time, I say this:**

**Thank you all for you support, and here's hoping I make it through the rough road ahead of me! *Raises glass in a toast* Long live Fanfiction! And in case my health goes south...Love ya'll! Expect an update for Bring Down the Sky to be coming soon! Remember, I own nothing! And prepare for a shocker! And of course, a fair bit of humor! But in this chapter there is a great deal of action-not to mention a shocking revelation for poor Naruto regarding the reapers, one. that may just send our favorite blond over the edge...**

**ALSO! My computer is down! BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH! I literally woke up this morning and it wouldn't work-whereas it was just FINE LAST NIGHT!? Anywho, I'm writing this from my stepdad's computer, so updates might be sporadic for a bit! Grrrrr...so angry right now! But hey, this is a nice looooong chapter, and we cover a lot of ground here! Also, I'm not going to tolerate any flames unless they're constructive criticism. So, fair warning! If you've nothing nice to say, please, don't say it.**

**Well...here ya go! =D Enjoy the humor! And we get to see some new characters this chapter! One of which I'm sure you'll recognize...AND FAIR WARNING! An awful lot happens in this chapter! ITS ANOTHER LONG ONE! The God of War bit was a new one, frankly, and I thought it interesting to see just what manner of powers might've been tucked away within that seal...**

_"A God...what would it be like to have that kind of power?"_

_~?_

**Deus**

My name is Uzumaki Naruto.

I pen this tale on what may very well be the last day of my life, of the lives of many. I am surrounded by my family and friends, comrades all. Many are Gods, others, are not. But... that is of little importance now. It is the eve of war, that of a great battlle; one which threatens not only us, but the very world itself. To any who read this I say thus; the story of my life is a strange, sordid tale, filled with hardships, but also triumph. One that must be told, lest all evidence of it perish with me and my pantheon in the coming days.

To begin, I am no longer what some might consider mortal. Yes-I am God. Or is the term demi-god? I wonder about that somtims. But god or no, by no means-and though it pains me to admit this-am I a saint. In fact, I'm probably the furthest thing from it. Athena and Artemis tell me I'm too hard on myself. Perhaps they are right. Hermes laughs at my fears. Hera chides me. Still, I feel this tale must be told.

I have committed unspeakable acts to earn the title I now hold, done despicable things in the name of the women I love. Entire villages have burned at my hand, razed to the ground. Clans have died out. Some might call me a monster for my actions. For my ambition. I call myself a pragmatist. The world I grew up in was a world of strife and chaos but it was also a home. My home. I would have done anything to protect it. Ah, but I digress. Doubtlessly I've confused you. Perhaps I should start at the beginning, no?

It all started with a scroll.

Such a simple little thing. Steal it and learn a jutsu, Mizuki said. Then I'd pass the exam, he'd said. Bullshit, I said! Or at least, I would've said it had I known I'd have the entire village after me.

I was naieve, back then. Young and oh so hopelessly naieve. It didn't even occur to me-shows what I knew-that he might not be telling the truth; that h might deceive me, use and abuse me like so many others. Iruka was the exception to that rule. I thought Mizuki might be as well. After all I reasoned, he'd never shown me any ill will before, so why would he start now. I was a fool. I didn't realize you could mask your hate, burry it so deep that no one else could find it. Shows what I knew in my youth. I am wiser now, older. But not then

At his behest, I stole the Sacred Scroll of Sealing, hoping to learn a new jutsu. Something. Anything. An item, a technique, a gift, that might somehow validate my self-worth to my peers and make me a shinobi. I was desperate for them to acknowledge me so I looked deep, searching for something that might make me known as more than just the village pariah. Yes, I thought I'd find a jutsu.

But instead I found something else. Something...

...amazing.

* * *

The hour was late.

Naruto fumbled with sweaty hands at the depths of the scroll, desperately searching for something-anything really-to learn within its depths. Something he could learn in less time than it took the villages forces to find him, that is. He'd already passed over shadow clones and other, various techniques. For some reason the bunshin jutsu had struck him as too mundane. He'd had it up to here with clones! He wanted to learn something awesome, incredible, fantastic, a technique that would prove to everyone that he wasn't the dead last in class. Anything.

But what was this?

Naruto went back trhough the scroll, and unraveled it farther, stopping at an odd seal. Looking it over, he saw it saw a blood seal, one of the few lessons he had stayed awake for during the academy.

He bit his thumb, and swiped it across the seal allowing the contents to be revealed. What he had unsealed was another scroll, a little smaller then the forbidden scroll, and a letter. It seemed pretty old, but seeing as Naruto had plenty of time left, he opened the letter, and read the content's within:

_My name is Zeus._

_I find myself scribing this as the world is laid siege. The seas rage. Plague consumes our land. The sun no longers graces us with her face. The undead walk the earth. Kratos, once known as the God of War, has seen fit to bring this calamity upon us, not just in Greece, but the entire world. This world needs us. Just as we need it. I find it almost laughable, in a sense. A child of mine is coming to kill me. Me! Zeus! Lord of the Gods! The same whelp I once sought to slay myself, now turned enemy. He is coming here. I am certain that he will fall at my hands, and yet, I cannot still this sense of dread within me._

_In the event that I should fail...this is my failsafe. Ours. It is my belief that the world will restore itself someday-and when that time comes, we may yet rise again._

_Contained within are the many gifts and powers of myself and my wretched family, my sons, daughters, and all who came before, gathered over painstaking years. Now, I add mine. These are no mere tokens, no items by which to endow our power. Pieces of our very essence lives within. These are not gifts given lightly. To the mortal-or god-who reads this, you have been deemed worthy. You would not be able to read my words thus had I thought you not. _

_A choice lays before you now; our fate, in your hands. Toss us aside if you will, or, take one of the gifts I and my family offer and return us to the world. Know that in doing so you may well end your own life. Our might is not for the faint of heart. Furthermore, if greed tempts you with its voice, know that this...melding, if you will, is permanent. It cannot be done twice. Another failsafe, if you will. To draw in more than one of our kind would almost certainly kill you, in any case. Now, it is up to you._

_Partake of my power if you dare, mortal._

Naruto lowered the note, almost disbelieving.

The power of a god. It was almost too much to hope. Did he even dare? Or was this all some sick joke. He found it very difficult to believe that ancient, eternal entities had sealed pieces of their power -themselves into a mere piece of parchment. But if they were telling the truth? Could he even handle a power like that? Part of him said yes. The other half squealed in protest. He roared at it and his cowardice retreated, quivering into the darkest corner of his mind. If he had that kind of power, no one would dare make fun of him ever again. But did he dare?

In the end, Fate forced his hand.

"NA-RU-TO!"

"Gah!" the blond jerked upright as Iruka's shout preceded his arrival; he barely even noticed Mizuki landing on the other side of the clearing. "W-Wait a second!" he flung his arms up at the thunderous expression in the eyes of his sensei. "I can explain!"

Mizuki stood on a tree branch, a shit-eating grin on his face, a pair of fuuma shuriken on his back. He spoke up saying, "Good job Naruto, now hand over the scroll, and then you can become a Genin."

Wait a second. Something was off here. Something was...wrong.

Naruto turned his head in Iruka's direction, a cold look in his eyes. It put Iruka on edge to see it. Naruto turned back to the obvious traitor, and heard him say, "Have you ever wondered why you were hated all these years? Why the village saw you as nothing more then a demon?"

No.

"Don't tell him! It's forbidden!"

Mizuki ignored his coomrade, and said, "Fifteen years ago, a demon attacked this village, the elders tell the children that the demon was killed, but that is a lie, the truth is, the demon, the Kyuubi no kitsune, could not be killed, so instead, the fourth Hokage used a jutsu to seal it away inside you, you are the Kyuubi no kitsune, you're that demon. You are the the nine tailed fox!" Both shinobi looked toward Naruto-one praying for him to remain sane, the other hoping for a emotional breakdown. Finally, the latter lost his patiences.

"Oh, for fuck's sake. If you're not going to do anything then just die!" Mizuki muttered at last. Before either could react, he flung the shuriken.

"Naruto!" Iruka's voice rang out from behind his flank, the fear and desperation in his words piercing his deafness, rooting him in place, "DOWN!"

Naruto had only the time to blink as a mottled blur cut across his vison, knocked him to the ground in an instant and hurling itself atop him. Iruka moved. Naruto staggered backwards. Blood spattered the forest floor and lined his cheek. And not a moment too soon. Iruka grunted in surprise as something sharp slashed through his jumpsuit and bit into his lower back; the unfamiliar edge of a massive shuriken burrowing into his flesh, nearly causing his arms to buckle; threatening to throw him forward and onto him altogether. A thin line of blood leaked between his lips, spattering onto Naruto's cheek. He gawped up at him, blue eyes wide, mouth frozen in an open oval. The words hitched deep inside his throat, refusing to emerge, no matter how much he might want them to.

"W-Why?" he whispered.

Iruka opened his mouth to speak; all that emerged was blood.

"S-Sorry," he hissed through clenched teeth, "This was the only *cough* thing I could think of." His lips quirked in a pained smile. "After all, you're the same as me. When, I..." he bit off the word, "lost my parents, no one ever complimented or recognized me. Being the bad student I was, I...screwed up a lot during class on purpose...because I wanted to get everyone's attention. It didn't matter if they laughed at me, or cursed me. I couldn't get anyone's attention when I tried...so I acted like an idiot. It was like I was an outsider. You know how that feels, right?"

Naruto gulped.

He _did_ know how that felt. For the longest time he'd thought himself alone. Iruka was probably the closest thing he had to a friend. Old man Teuchi and Ayame were right up there with him, but they couldn't alwasy be there for him. Would they have done something like this, to save him? He felt weak, terrified. thinking of them. Now, as he lay there, helpless to do anything but watch bitter tears well in his eyes. "It was tough. Right, Naruto?" he asked. "You were lonely, right? I'm sorry. You...shouldn't have to feel that way. I'll try to do somehting about that...this time...around."

Naruto's heart nearly leapt into his throat as Iruka slumped forward, falling atop him, collapsing into his arms like so much dead weight. He wanted to weep as his eyes slid shut; had he just died in front of him? In his arms No! He couldn't die, not here! Not now! He tried to move him but his teacher didn't respond, the impact knocked him to the ground, where the scroll still lay.

_No!_

In that instant, Naruto's bloodied thumb brushed the symbol of a lightning bolt. He had time for only one thought. _Crap._

Then there was only _pain._

It was like touching a live wire; the current arced up the sigil, to his arm, and into him.

His lips parted in a soundlessly yelp of raw, sustained agonies. He couldn't see the changes taking place outside his body nor within; his hair bleached itself a pure, snow white. Blue eyes blazed as though lit deep from within. Within. Yes, within his body was were the true changes took place, his every cell saturated with a power that hadn't seen the light of day for tens of thousands of years. That power shot straight through the seal containing his tenant, uncaring for its roars of protest, the lightning preforating the bars of its cage.

The Kyuubi never stood a chance.

Struck by the scintillating energies it perished almost instantaneously; its body turning to ash beneath the almighty power of the lightning. It tried to curse, to rage impotently against the bonds that held and weakened it but to no avail. All that escaped its jaws was a weak whimper.

And then it was gone.

Naruto's scream finally became a physical _sound_, his body writhing violently within the vortex. The lightning flashes were coming thicker and faster overhead. And still he screamed. The lightning began to coalece. The brightness overhead grew as though a new sun was forming within the mist. It swelled into vast, lambent sphere. Plasmic sparks wormed and veined across every surface of the forest floor. The very air felt alive, with raw power. Naruto gave a final, watery croak. Mizuki hissed.

"Shit!"

Then the lightning that was his prison broke, and the world went white. Not the filmy white of the mist. A pure, blackening, incandescent white that penetrated every crack and corner and left no room for shadows, no dark crevices, nothing illuminated. A whiteness like the beginning of Creation, or its end. Accompanied by a _bang _that was beyond sound, beyond comprehension, loud enough that it made any other norise a whisper by comparison—and a wave of intense heat and pressure that came like a giant, sweeping hand and drove all before it.

A hurricane of burning brilliance that picked up Iruka and Mizuki and whirled them and tangled them and tossed them aside, and left only a howling blackness in its wake.

* * *

_(?)_

The throne room was enormous, immaculate, glorious.

The first thing that Naruto noticed the polished and white floor inlaid with intricate gold patterns around its borders. Then his attention was drawn to the to the twenty-seven white tree trunks on each of the rooms three sides. Curious, he moved to approach the trunks. He reached out to touch them-only to feel not warm bark but cold, hard marble. Frowning, he looked up and gawped openmouthed at the exquisitely painted celing. In an instant his breath was taken away by the sight.

It depicted a furious storm raging across the earth, angry oceans frothing at the shore as two men did battle. One sparked with lightning, the other looked like a ghost bathed in ashes. As he looked on, admiring the old art, the figures withing seemed to move. Blur. Become alive.

_"Beautiful, isn't it?"_

Naruto jumped.

He looked to the center of the room. Seventeen wide steps led up to the dais on which a throne itself rested. The throne had been carved from a single piece of oak. It was taller than a man—certainly larger than him at any rate—and wider than his outstretched arms, polished pristine and pearll, inlaid with more of the gold embossed patterns. A man sat upon it. His eyes eyes sparked like lightning and that grey white beard seemed to rippled with a life of his own, as though it were made from the clouds themselves. A toga wrapped body had been bronzed by the sight of the sun-strong forearms braced against either side of the throne. Until this very moment, Naruto had never laid eyes on the man. And yet, somehow, he knew him.

_"Hello, child."_ the king of the gods greeted him in a voice like rumbling thunder. _"We meet at last."_

**_Zeus._**

"Fuck all kinds of duck." Naruto muttered a soft expletitive to himself as he stared into those fierce eyes. "Let me guess, you're the big guy himself? The head honcho, 'ttebayo?" Every fiber of his being screamed at him to turn and flee from this being, to find safety here, wherever here was. And yet, somehow, someway. he stood his ground. Even found the will to mouth off to the alll-seeing entity. Remarkably, the lord of the heavens didn't strike him down for his temerity. Instead, he smiled. It was a strange thing, that smile. Almost fatherly, yet severe and stern in the same breath.

The Sky Father laughed, then. _"You do not lack for courage, I see."_

"Considering the day I just had?" Naruto shook himself wearily. "Not really, no."

"Where are we?"

_"I wonder."_ the god chortled quietly, as though this were all a joke to him._ "I suppose this was where that demon once dwelt, now, no longer." _his form began to shimmer with those words, and his countenance became stern once more._ "But I digress. I will not exist much longer."_ he said._ "Even now, my consciousness is fading."_

_"Come closer." _he continued, beckoning._ "Quickly now. I've no time to waste."_

Reluctantly, Naruto complied. To his dismay, a single step shot him across the room, he was standing ebefore Zeus almost before he knew what was happening. A heavy hand laid itself on his head, forcing him to stare once more overlong into those harsh white eyes. Zeus hummed thoughtfully to himself. _"Yes, I see."_ he murmurred, turning him from side to side. _"There is a drive within you child, a need to prove yourself. I once had a similair ambition not so long ago. I do hope you survive."_

"Erm...what?"

_"Go now, my son."_ the hand on his head retreated with that command, Zeus' form turning to mist before his very eyes._ "Avenge us. Restore us!"_

And the world was his once again.

* * *

Slowly, painfully, Iruka's vision returned to him.

"Naruto...

His form gradually became illuminated in the gloom. Became more than just the shell that contained the fox's energies. He became more than Uzumaki Naruto. In that instant, he was Zeus. Zeus was him. There was no distinction between the two. They were one. Sparks crackled around his glowing form; eyes bristling a pure, blistering white, his hair the color of ashen snow drifts, his skin darkened, tanned, and kissed by the suns. He was the embodiment of the heavens themselves, a being of pure energy, coalesced here in the form of this young teenager. Lips pursed in a thin, angry line.

"Naruto...

Those brilliant eyes cut to him, showing concern. When he spoke his voice was different somehow. As though another were speaking with him, somehow.

"Sensei, are you al-

"Die, demon!"

Naruto didn't even deign to turn as Mizuki pounced on him shuriken, whirling. He simply raised a hand.

_Ba-kram!_

Thunder boomed. Lightning flashed. Mizuki choked wetly as his right hand dissolved into a bloody mist, dropping the weapon in favore of clutching at the now bloody stump. The man's cries were ignored as the restored blond bent to retrieve the fallen projectile.

Naruto grunted, pleased by this feat. He picked up the giant shuriken and twisted it into a knot like it was Play-Doh. Shaking his head with disbelief, he threw the manglled hunk of iron to one side—and just to see what would happen—he threw it at Mizuki. The man yelped and ducked aside, leaping to safety as the iron knot slammed through a tree; then another, and another, and still another. His physical strength alone had ruptured seven oaks with ease. Iruka gawped.

Naruto laughed, uncurling his fingers. Sparks sizzled between them.

"Ohhhh, I think I could get used to this." Then his gaze found Mizuki once more. "Now, for you."

Blubbering madly, the chunin tried to scramble away. Too slow. A hand closed around his throat, hoisting him off the ground.

"Go on! Do it!" he roared, sneering. "Show the world what you truly are! Show them_-urk!"_

Scoffing, the boy aimed a punch at the man who had tormented him. It was like pushing a fist through rice paper. _Easily._ Blood fountained forth from Mizuki's mouth in a geyser of gore, the crimson stain trickling down onto the extended limb, pouring forth from the gaping hole that now occupied his stomach. Naruto held him like that for a moment, glowering up into those hateful grey eyes. Then he wrenched his hand free and felled the arrogant chunin to the ground. One worked leaked past his dying lips.

"Demon...

The whitehead cocked his head a fraction of an inch, considering as he cast the corpse aside. "Demon? No. I am a...

...God!"

**A/N: And there we go! The Gods of Greece will be returning! This is a slight God of War crossover, most involving the various deities seen in the games, much hilarity, chaos, triumph and pain that is to come. I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading this new tale dear readers, and I hope to hear from you as to what you think of this work! Naruto is essentially Zeus as of now, and Zeus is him-as to the rest of the pantheon and what-who-they will become, well, that remains to be seen now, doesn't it? Pairing undecided! I leave that up to you, dear readers!**

**So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...**

**...Review...Would You Kindly? And of course, enjoy the preview!**

**(Preview!)**

_Naruto lowered a tanned forearm, his fingers still crackling from the sudden discharge of light. The smell of burnt hair filled the training ground. As the infamous Copycat looked on a few strands of silver hair fluttered to the floor at his feet, along with his now scorched headband. Beneath the mask, his lips pursed into a thin frown._

_"Better?" Naruto asked._

_Kakashi gulped._

_"Well, that's not fair at all."_

_"I'm sorry," the demigod's smile was decidedly cheeky. "I don't give a fuck."_

**R&amp;R!=D**


	2. Champion

**A/N: Alright ladies and gentlemen, I'm alive! I've been better given all the problems I've been going through, but I'm still breathing. Still kicking. I've been on a Mass Effect craze as of late as I'm sure you all noticed; its just my way of coping with life atm. Not only has my stupid heart failed on me again, but I've been suffering through the loss of several family members. Add to that the state of my joblessness and the school bills that keep racking up, and I'm in a bit of a tight spot at the moment. Yet here I am, fighting this damned depression, not giving into despair. To all my readers/reviewers who have encourage me in this time, I say this:**

**Thank you all for you support, and here's hoping I make it through the rough road ahead of me! *Raises glass in a toast* Long live Fanfiction! And in case my health goes south...Love ya'll! Expect an update for Bring Down the Sky to be coming soon! Remember, I own nothing! And prepare for a shocker! And of course, a fair bit of humor! But in this chapter there is a great deal of action-not to mention a shocking revelation for poor Naruto regarding the reapers, one. that may just send our favorite blond over the edge...**

**ALSO! My computer is down! BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH! I literally woke up this morning and it wouldn't work-whereas it was just FINE LAST NIGHT!? Anywho, I'm writing this from my stepdad's computer, so updates might be sporadic for a bit! Grrrrr...so angry right now! But hey, this is a nice looooong chapter, and we cover a lot of ground here! Also, I'm not going to tolerate any flames unless they're constructive criticism. So, fair warning! If you've nothing nice to say, please, don't say it.**

**Well...here ya go! =D Enjoy the humor! And we get to see some new characters this chapter! One of which I'm sure you'll recognize...AND FAIR WARNING! An awful lot happens in this chapter! ITS ANOTHER LONG ONE! The God of War bit was a new one, frankly, and I thought it interesting to ponder who should ascend to Godhood...and we see just what becoming a God has done for our favorite blond's personality...he's about to get really shaken up, and he isn't going to like it one bit...Also! There is no bashing in this story. Just cold hard facts. I'm really not a fan of inflicting that kind of embarassment upon characters unless its for the sake of humor. Anywho...**

**...LOOOOONG CHAPTER AHEAD! Hope ya like it!**

_"Control is an illusion. It can be even more blinding than the inability to see. It can...send you over the edge."_

_~?_

**Champion**

And thus, through a strange series of events that I still wonder at to this very day, I gained the powers of a god.

I admit, the power was a little intoxicating for me at first; alright, _very_ intoxicating. Ponder this, if you will. Picture it. If a man has gone without water in the desert for days, will he not rejoice upon finding an oasis that from which he might drink? Would not a town's pariah, their outcast, exult loudly if he were given but a scrap of attention? That was how I felt. It was like a part of me had been waiting, hoping, praying for this_-and I'm quite sure Aphrodite and Demeter would have laugh were they to read these humble words-_this...gift, all of my life. Now it was suddenly there, and I was someone.

When you go from dead last at life to being able to conjure storms with a snap of your fingers, its hard to contain it. Not the power, that part grew easier in time. But to keep something like that a secret? To yourself? A more difficult labour could not be found. When you know hold all the power in the world in your hands, the urge to brag is...

Suffice to say, it was one hell of a trip. I was a good head taller, now-helluva growth spurt, there-harder, better, faster, stronger, than I'd ever been. I felt untouchable. No one was going to screw with me any more. No one. I was tempted to visit these new powers of mine on those who'd wronged me. And who wouldn't be? Yet I abstained. Killing Mizuki had driven my point home like a hammer into a nail; I wouldn't be pushed around anymore. My attitude was much the same as Hercules when he returned to the world, at first.

I wasn't a cocky, insufferable brat, but I was pretty damn close.

In my mind, I reasoned it would be far better to showcase my new abilities, rather than lash out like an angry child. Besides, I thought it was cool. Again, I remind you that for alll my powers, I was very _foolish _during that first week. Ridiculously so. I thought I had it all figured out. If I could, I'd go back in time and smack my younger self upside his head. Because with any form of power comes arrogance and for awhile there I was drunk on it. Nothing could mess with me now, I reasoned. So why worry about the repercussions of my actions?

Best of all, I knew something that they didn't, the fox that had made my life a living hell was gone. Eradicated by the power of Zeus that flowed through my veins. Such power! If I'd been so inclined, I could've swept a hand and blow the village out of existence. But I didn't. I look back and wonder if that was folly now; me staying my hand because of the few souls who'd done right by me. If I'd burned Konoha to the ground then and there, this war might never have happened. Ah, but I'm getting off track again, aren't I?

In those first seven days, I was soaring high. Indeed, I felt that nothing could bring me down.

But with great power also came great responsibility...

...that was something I learned the hard way.

* * *

_"No."_

Sarutobi felt his eye twitch for what felt like the umpteenth time the next morning.

Taking a deep breath to compose himself, the Third Hokage once more willed his mind to be calm. Steepling his wrinkled fingers against his desk and laying his chin to rest upon them, he willed himself to look into the blazing, blinding eyes of his charge. They seemed to shimmer even brighter than the morning sun itself as he looked on, only further adding to his frustrations. When at long last he finally found his voice once more, it emerged as a strained sigh, bouncing off the sealed walls of his office despite his best efforts to lower his tone.

"What do you mean by that, Naruto?"

"Its just as I said." Naruto answered, his voice remaining flat, impertinent, even. "You can have the Scroll of Sealing back, but I'm keeping these." he held up Zeus's letter and the scroll in his off hand, their light all but dancing off his newly acquired hitiate, given to him by Iruka himself. Pride mingled with anger. He was a shinobi now, and, no ninja should show such dissent to their hokage. He tried to remind himself that Naruto was still young, that he'd been through much in the last night. Besides, the boy was Minato's son, still near and dear to his heart after all these years.

In vain, he focused his attention on the scroll and letter in the boy's hand.

To Sarutobi the items in question appeared little more than mere gibbberish; he couldn't comprehend how they had changed Minato's son into this bolt-casting deity. He couldn't make sense of either, only that they'd empowered the boy somehow. And by the look in those blazing white eyes, he didn't doubt for a moment that Mizuki had broken his edict and revealed the beast sealed inside the boy. Currently, his corpse was being examined by Ibiki and the others, though the kage himself held little hope that any useful data wold be found.

Iruka had undergone a percursory inspection as well, after the boy had, by his own admission, healed him.

By all eyewitness accounts, Naruto had called down lightning from the heavens, and then punched through the Chunin like a wet paper bag. Iruka had ardently maintained that the boy's actions had been in self defense purely after the chunin tried to kill. Hiruzen didn't question that. But he _did_ question where this new power came from. And it worried him. The finest of the Yamanaka had tried to probe the boy's psyche, only to find all of their efforts curtailed. His mind was like an impregnable fortress, barring access to all. When one had tried to be more forceful, the boy had given him a good jolt. That was when they'd realized the extend of his new powers.

And now here he was, standing before a very exasperated Hokage.

It wasn't that Sarutobi Hiruzen was _afraid_ of what he'd seen thus far -certainly not!- he told himself, but rather, curious to know how it had all come about.

Minato didn't have any sort of bloodline, nor did Kushina. Therefore, it must have been something within the scroll. Who knew what secrets were contained within its depths? Even he dared not plumb them, for fear of what might be found there. But the scroll in the youth's hand, now that was another matter. Naruto was not a rebellious sort beyond the occasional prank, but clearly something had changed here if he was refusing to divulge the secrets that had led to his transformation. Clearly, the scroll was the key somehow. But if Naruto was

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

The former blond shook his head from side to side in quiet refusal. Hiruzen sighed, realizing it was time to broach a far more sensitive subject. He'd been skirting the matter for some time in the past, but now that the boy knew the truth of what he'd been containing, it wasn't something he could simply ignore anymore. Better to extend the olive branch and have it struck down than to never have offerd it at all. Coughing quietly, he cleared his throat.

"Naruto-kun, I know you were previously unaware of your, ah, guest." he chose his words carefully as the boy turned to stare at him. "I apologize for the deception, but you must understand it was neccessary for your-

It was the wrong thing to say and they both knew it. Those eyes weren't dim now, they were blazing like twin suns.

_**"Neccessary?"**_ he hissed, words booming. _**"NECCESSARY?!"** _Sarutobi winced at the sharp crack of lightning that accompanied his voice. "Your damned _rule_ made my life a living hell! You practically stuck a "kick me" sign on my back! Everyone was in on the damn joke but me! By the Fates, how was that fucking neccessary?! What else is there, huh?! Are you going to tell me the Fourth was my father or something?! That he sealed this...this thing inside of me?! Because that'd just be the icing on the cake."

Sarutobi said not a word. But it didn't matter. The silence was telling.

Within that deafening void, everything fell apart. The fractured remnants Naruto had tried to hold together, all the pieces he'd gathered since last night, came crashing down around his ears. No. This wasn't possible. He-it...no. It couldn't be. His mind refused to accept it. Yet his godly sight told him it was so, reading Sarutobi Hiruzen like the pages of an open book. He recoiled from the knowledge in disbelief. Disgust.

"How did you know?"

"I didn't. Until now."

Naruto's expression turned as frigid as the heights of Mount Olympus, his voice reflecting his own dark thoughts. "Are you kidding me? _Are you kidding?"_ All the light seemed to drain out of the room. "He is, isn't he? He did this to me. His own son...No, don't say anything." He flung up a hand, silencing the wizened monarch with the gesture. "I don't want to hear anymore of your...lies." the earth began to tremble between them, tiny sparks snapping into the air as the floor trembled and threatened to give way beneath their very feet. "What in _Hades_ were you thinking? What was he thinking?!"

"Naruto, I-

**_"Don't touch me!"_**

The Hokage tried to reach out and calm him, but the boy jerked away, forcing him to cringe aside as a bolt burned his hand. "Please, try to understand. Your father-

"Just like tha, the earth-shaking rage dissolved, replaced by an icy calm. Somehow, this felt worse than the chaos that'd raged mere moments ago. "I have no father."

"Be that as it may, I-he-had your own wellbeing in mind at the time. And I still do." the kage answered calmly, eyes narrowing. "I am not your enemy, Naruto. You would do well to remember this."

The boy said nothing to that, but those blazing eyes seemed to darken somehow. Outside, the skies rumbled ominously once more. Sarutobi frowned, but tacitlly chose not to say anything further. Tossing thunderbolts about was one thing, but if Naruto was able to manipulate weather patterns now, well, that posed a problem. But if he thought the boy's brief bout of spite had ended, he was wrong.

"Its dead, you know."

"What?"

"The fox. I killed it." Naruto said sullenly, rolling his shoulders in an easy shrug. "Zeus helped." that was added almost as an afterthought.

For a moment-just a moment, Sarutobi almost believed him. He sounded so sure. _Certain._ Then incredulity set in.

"Naruto, I'm afraid that's simply impossible. A mortal can't kill a biju." A frown plucked at his face. "And who is...Zeus?"

"I can." he answered the first question quickly, effortlessly flowing onto the second. "And I'm not. Mortal, that is. Zeus is me."

"You cannot expect me to believe-

"Have a Hyuuga look at me, then." he challenged. "See for yourself."

Sarutobi didn't mention that they already had last night while he'd slept. The poor soul had been gibbering about "Light! So much light! _Eveeeeerywhere!"_ for hours now. From what little they'd managed to wrangle out of him the boy still had some semblance of chakra, but judging by the poor jonin's reaction, it was painful, almost maddening to stare at overlong. Was it divine somehow? There were too many questions here, and not enough answers to go around.

"I suppose I may well send you on your way then." the words felt half-hearted, somehow. Hollow. "Go back to the academy and wait to be assigned to a team." Kami above, he almost felt sorry for the poor soul at this point; Kakashi had already been told what'd happened, but he wouldn't be expecting...this. His team would have to be different as well -it was simply too risky to pair Naruto with Sasuke after last night- alll because of that scroll. Whatever had happened to Naruto had hardened him somehow. But he was still there beneath all that armor-however sheltered he might be.

"You are dismissed, Naruto."

Naruto nodded tersely, but those words were like hail, cold and pelting at the old man's heart. "As you say, Hokage-sama." A crackle of thunder and he was gone. Sarutobi gawped at the now window, shattered by the boy's abrupt departure. Was that the Hiraishin? No, there was no golden light. Some new form of high speed travel, then? It certainly wasn't a a body flicker. A touch of dread plucked at his heart.

Why did he feel as though he'd just made a monumental mistake?

* * *

"Neccessary," Naruto muttered to himself as he walked, his mood as black as the stormclouds hanging overhead. The fury of Zeus-his fury-coursed through him with every _step_ sending scintilating sparks shooting down his arms and legs to discharge harmlessly into the street. "What does he know about neccessity?" It galled him to realize that Sarutobi, the man whom he'd so often thought of as a grandfather, had been so duplicitious in his actions as to spite him with lies and falsehoods. Traitorous, even. Damnit, he'd thought...he'd _trusted..._

_No._ The youth shook himself fiercely, refusing to allow the emotion to run its course. It didn't matter what he thought. So what if he'd trusted him? Believed in him? Obviously he'd proven himself unworthy of that trust. He was just like the others, except he thought his good intentions outweighed the crime. Naruto disagreed. With every fibre of his new being, he disagreed. It irked him. And the prospect of being stabbed in the back by yet another of those he'd trusted only fueled Naruto's anger. More than anger. More than fury.

It filled him with the rage of a god.

And his father...his father was responsible for this. He'd made him into a monster. One he was now free of, but the knowledge of such a betrayal burned.

Now he felt as if his bones were on fire, searing him from the inside out. Lightning blazed around him, causing the world to fade into a dim image of washed-out blue, and blasted into the clouds overhead. He didn't see what happened next, nearly missed the sudden explosion of light and something too vast to be considered a sound.

**BA-KRAM!**

He almost jumped as a bolt of heavenly light erupted from the sky to slam into a nearby home with a deafening _crack;_ the lightning divesting the build of its roof with a thunderous clap. For a moment, he rejoiced in its destruction. The owner of said building had beaten him more than once during the festival of the Kyuubi's demise. Then he realized what he'd done. His mind had called down the wrath of heaven as surely as he'd flung the bolt himself. It was enlightening, so say the least.

The whitehead blinked in surprise, then willed himself to be calm. Just like that, the storm dissappeared and the skies became bright and sunny once more. Instead of being pleased by this new ability, his mood soured, his heart sinking. Now he knew what would happen if he didn't reign himself in, if he let his temper truly consume him. Shame colored his whiskered features. His mood swings caused thunderstorms! He would need to control this temper, lest he smite someone unwillingly. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt an innocent-

"Oi! You little shit!

So much for that idea.

Naruto forced himself to stand stock still and not run-after all, what did he have to fear from one man in this form?-his blazing white eyes turning to regard the one who had spoken, now approaching. He found himself staring up at a large, heavyset man in tunic and trousers,and a bloodstained apron; his jowled face rippling with anger, words speckling with spittle as he shrieked and snarled. Naruto might've found the fat man funny, if not for the fact that his incessant cries seemed to be drawing a crowd.

"Yes?" he asked politely as the man towered over him.

"You blasted my shop, boy!" the man accused, thrusting one pudgy finger into his chest and another towards the still-smoldering husk o fhis home. "What do you have to say for yourself?!"

I say you're a fool and I don't have time to deal with you, Naruto thought. But some semblance of civility still remained within him despite the change, and so he feigned a smile.

"Name?" he inquired.

"EH?!"

The God barely resisted the urge to punch the fat man's head clear off his shoulders. "I said, what is your name?"

"Sentomaru." it was a growl.

"Ah. My temper got the better of me, Sentomaru-san." Naruto sensed that very temper beginning to stir wrahtfully in his grasp but he clamped down on it quickly, performing a curt bow, instead. "I apologize." he replied, stiffly raising his head. "It won't happen again." At these words At his side, he felt the fingers of his right hand twitch, aching for action. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see others watching, but none made any move to aid him. His contempt for them waxed considerably. No Anbu, either. Wasn't it their job to prevent this sort of thing?

"Oh, you'll be sorry alright." When he turned back, the butcher had already pulled a cleaver from his belt. "You little demon! I'll carve it into your face!"

It was impossible to keep the scorn from his face now. "And what makes you think you have any chance with that little knife, hmm? Tell you what," Before Sentomaru could continue his oh-so-clever threats the godling lowered his arms. "I'll make it easy on you. I won't take my hands from my pockets. And," with a flourish, he spun around. "My back's turned. How's that? I'm just as helpless as I was last year."

A series of hushed whispers went up from the onlookers. Sentomaru seethed. Then, like a bull seeing red, he thundered forward.

"Take this-_huh?"_

Dark eyes blinked, bulging as the boy seamlessly ducked and swept his legs without turning, causing the man to stumble and fall flat on his ass with a mighty thud, of a sound. Naruto chuckled quietly, no longer able to maintain the thin veneer of decency that he'd erected. He didn't need his powers to make a fool of this man. He was doing it to himself, with only the slightest nudge. Turning to face the ill-fated butcher, he permitted a tiny smile for himself.

"Honestly, I keep telling you people that I'm not a demon anymore," he sighed down at the man. "You'd think someone would've learned by now."

Unchastened, the portly man clamored to his feet and tried to come at him again. It was like watching a slow-motion reel. His every move was telegraphed and even if they hadn't been, the boy's newfound reflex made him seem like a lumbering Titan by comparison. It was laughable.

Naruto weaved backwards, taking advantage of his new, fluid grace. He was a leaf, swaying in the storm of savage swipes raining down upon him.

"I find your lack of faith disturbing." he mused softly, twisting aside under the relentless barrage of blows. "What's the matter, Sentomaru?" Duck. "Am I too fast for you?" Dodge. "I'm not that same little boy anymore, am I?" A raw edge began to creep into his tone as they danced, the whitehead effortlessly evading, "Its not fun when your prey can fight back, isn't it? Don't you think?!" With that, he finally deigned to retaliate; a foot flying up to smash the portly man in the stomach.

Sentomaru doubled over with a wheeze. But as swiftly as he went down he was up again; bellowing and barreling forward at him with reckless abandon. White eyes narrowed. Enough was enough.

"Stand still you litte...I'll get yoUUUUUUOOOOW!"

Naruto flowed like water around another clumsy swipe and then, as if his new body had a mind of its own, struck. The sound of splintering bone and sundered flesh filled the air and drowned out his snarl. Strong fingers wrapped around the man's neck with vigor and _anger_ squeezing and jerking him off his feet. He didn't even feel the weight. And for a moment, just a tiny moment, he was reminded of what he'd done to Mizuki. Instead of impaling the man on his own knife, the god tossed his corpulent form down to the ground and disarmed him.

_Literally._

Screams, both his own, the butcher's and those of the crowd filled his ears as Sentomaru's severed limb flopped away from in a shower of gore, severed at the elbows. Naruto lowered his bloodsoaked hands, fingertips smoldering from the sudden discharge. The butcher was lucky, the surge of heavenly wrath had cauterized the wounds; the only blood flowing was that of his trunctuated limbs. Shrieks and cries of horror fillled the air, mostly those of the blubbering man at his feet. And Naruto-Zeus-felt nothing. Not even a touch of pity. This was a mercy, all things considered; their conflict could have ended with the man's life. Instead, he would live the rest of his life knowing that his once-former-victim had finally bested him. But he wasn't done.

Pressing a foot down onto the butcher's bloated form, he grabbed him by the lappels of his apron and pulled, tugging the man's face towards him. There were no threats this time; only a quiet keening sound as he drew his victim forward.

"Let this be a warning," he rumbled, the words little more than a dry, arid hiss. "If you ever, and I mean ever, strike at me again, losing a limb or two will be the last of your worries. Understand?"

The butcher nodded meekly. Naruto released him, allowing the man to slump back into the street.

"Good man. A medic may be able to reattach your arms, if you hurry." he mused, stroking his chin in thought as he rose from his crouch. "Would someone kindly call for one?" Without waiting for an answer, he started forward, ignoring the looks, the cries, the quiet fear.

The crowed parted before him like the Aegean sea, men and women and children scattering before the approach of their God. For the first time in the last thirteen-going on fourteen-years of his life, Uzumaki Naruto felt confident. Strong. Powerful. Even as he looked down at his bloodied arms the coat of crimson seemed to evaporate, as though his body would not allow the stain to exist on his newfound form. Behind him, he could still hear Sentomaru wailing in pain. A new emotion burgeoned within him as he walked away. Satisfaction.

_Well done, Naruto..._

The blond started in surprise as a sliver of a whisper stabbed into his head, slowing in his swift stride. For a moment, he almost thought it was Zeus, speaking to him. But no, that wasn't possible. The man he'd met had ceased to be the moment they'd come together and become one. And this was voice was different. Female. Bah. He shook his head, cleared his thoughts from the murk. Must be hearing things. He lengthened his stride once more and kept walking. The Academy building was just in sight now, so long as he focused on it, he could ignore the disbelieving stares directed at him, the muffled murmurs of demon, monster and the like.

They were all terrified of him now; and they had every right to be, but for all the wrong reasons.

He probably looked quite the sight thanks to his new appearance and attire; small wonder he was getting so many odd looks. Something within him had come to disdain the color orange seemingly overnight. In place of his orange-blue tracksuit he'd discarded the bright colors altogether. Only recently he'd "liberated" a pair of black slacks and a simple red shirt from a clothing store, over which he'd thrown a dull green jacket similair in style to what Shikamaru wore, sans the color. When the shopkeep had tried to jack up the prices as per usual, Naruto jacked up the voltage instead.

It was...freeing to take what you wanted. No one could cheat him anymore without him knowing. None.

_Naruto._

Another soft whisper in the street behind him-more insistent this time-caused him to straighten without thought. It was...closer than he would've liked. Acting quickly, he ducked into a nearby alleway. A quick intake of breath filled his nostrils with the aromatic spikenard. His vision swam. Something was...wrong. But nothing manifested itself in the darkness of the allley. Muttering to himself for his foolishness, he continued to his trek toward the building-

_"Naruto!"_

It was impossible to ignore now; right at his ear.

Grimacing, he rised a glance backwards. What he saw there would've set him running for the hills, yesterday. Today, Naruto stood his ground-though he did gawp. He was looking at a ghost. Her sepia-tattooed lips parted, but she did not speak. Not immediately. Those intricate swirling designs on her face seemed to take on a life of their own, as if the tattoos might possess her somehow. It took a physical effort to wrench his gaze away from her and focus on her face, peer into her eerie glowing eyes. The delicate golden bands of her head decoration caught sunlight and made her look even more god - like. Her beauty didn't sway Naruto in the least, however.

"Lovely." he muttered. "First gods, now ghosts. I'm losing my mind." A small laugh fled past his lips. "Alright. I'll bite. Who in the hell are _you?"_

She wore battle armor, not as a fashion statement like so many might, but because she was a warrior. How did he know that? The bronze-and-leather panoply oddly suited her, he thought. Why did he think that? She looked down at him with a curious mixture of reverence and pleading, and last, just when he thought he could take the silence no more, she spoke:

_"Do you know who I am?"_ she returned his question with another question.

Naruto opened his mouth to reply that he did not, but the word was suddenly there on his lips. "Athena." It seemed Zeus had left him with more than just his essence after all. Memories. Faint, indistinct impressions of the woman he'd never met, the deity standing before him, filled his mind to the brim. "You're...Athena." a subtle note of awe crept into his voice. This was the second god he'd been visited by in less than as many days now, and it was enough to take him aback, albeit briefly. "The Goddess of Wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, and law. I could list your various deeds and feats, but I think you get the gist."

Her thin lips curled in a pleased smile as he spoke, barely containing in her joy. _"You_ do_ recognize me."_

"Not by choice." he replied gruffly. "How does a ghost know my name?"

Another of those beguiling smiles. _"I have been aware of you from the moment you came into this world, just as I am aware of many. When you touched the scroll, I was drawn to you. Only now are _you_ able to see me."_ Wow. Cryptic much? _"You were destined to open the scroll, to return us to the world."_ His eyes followed her as she drifted around him, an ethereal wraith in human form. His disllike for ghosts aside, he wasn't entirely ready to trust the sudden appearance of woman who claimed to know what he was up to. Was she friend or foe?

_"And you have already begun to do so."_ Athena continued, her voice hitching with pride. _"The spark within you has drawn me out of the ether where I have slumbered these thousands of years." _Those grey-green eyes fell to his hands, crackling with power._ "Ah, I see that my prescence here isn't exactly expected."_ Indeed, if she was at all frightened by the prospect of imminent destruction, she did precious little to show it. _"Still your powers, young one." _she said. _"I mean you no harm."_

Naruto drew himself up with a frown darkening his face, reluctantly quellling the bolt in his hand. "What do you want of me, Athena?" Trust was no longer something that came easily to him anymore; the events of the last twenty-four hours and Sarutobi's subsuquent revelation had done much to divest him of his naieveite. He could count those he _did _trust on the fingers of one hand now. A long dead Goddess, even Athena, was not amongst them.

_"Want?"_ the ghost of the Goddess blinked, as though she hadn't expected the question. _"You should already know what I want; to return my family to the world."_

"Through me."

_"In a way." _her head inched downward in a demure nod. _"Though I'm sure you already knew that by now."_

In his pocket, the scroll and letter warmed. "That still doesn't explain your prescence."

_"Doesn't it?"_ her head cocked aside._ "As I said before, I have no intention of harming you."_

The silence was telling.

_"Here. A gift of my good will." _Her hand flashed forward, birthing a speck of light. As Naruto looked on it grew, swelling until it was the size of a baseball, then _larger_ taking shape in each hand. His palms curled around the expanding speck of light instinctively, his hands seeking, clutching the weapons taking shape within. A pair of twin enormous, wickedly curved, and perpetually sharp golden blades appeared in his grasp. They were beautiful works of art, weapons not made by mortal hands.

Chains drooped from their hafts, moving to encircle his arms even as he looked on. There was no pain to be fellt from their embrace; rather than bite into the flesh of his arms the chains began to warp and twist before his very eyes, forming another intricate layer. Gauntlets. Vambraces of chain wrapped themselves round his arms, connected to the blades by which they were borne. They seemed to shimmer in his hands as he looked on, as though they were living braziers of fire. Then:

_Yeow!_

His forehead pricked uncomfortably as fresh knowledge flowed through him. Until this very moment, he hadn't known how to hold a sword, much less wield an unique weapon like this. Not anymore. It was almost as if something had been unlocked deep inside of him. It was...strange.

_"I give you the Blades of Athena."_ Athena said., looking on as he performed a perfunctory swipe with the blades, embedding one into the nearby wall with naught but a flick of the wrist._ "My blades, forged by my hand. And the knowledge in which you might use them."_

The young god weighed the golden blade in his hands for a moment, considering. At length, he frowned.

"I do not desire such a gift."

_"Regardless, they are yours to keep." _Her lips pursed in a rare show of contempt as she continued. _"The weapons in your hands once belonged to a great Spartan warrior and the former God of War. Kratos. I pray your use of them will be less...cruel."_

"Kratos," something about the name sent a chill shooting up his spine. "Why does that name sound familiar?

_"It should." _a rare note of anger-dissapointment, perhaps?-colored her words._ "He was responsible for our demise."_

"..."

Naruto frowned quietly at himself, gazing on his reflection dancing in the blade's almost ethereal edge. What memories he had of the Spartan were few and far between; as if he were looking at a faded image. He knew the man had been cruelly wronged by Ares and then later slain by Zeus himself before returning by some unknown means, but beyond that, there was little else to explain the bloody rampage that he'd wrought through the halls of Olympus. Losing your family and Godhood was enough to make a man angry. But to ruin the world just for the sake of revenge? He didn't know if he could do that. If someone ripped away all that he held to himself, all that was dear, he would seek vengeance yes, but at the cost of the world? There was such a thing as going too far. Or maybe there wasn't. He couldn't condemn someone without standing in their shoes.

Regardless, it was not his place to dwell on the past. Sheathing the blades, he felt them nestle against his back, as though trapped there by an invisible sheathe.

"So what is it you want with _me _exactly?"

_"I once offered counsel and wisdom to Zeus, the Sky Father who came before, who now lives in you."_

Her elaborately engraved armor seemed to creak slightly, despite her incorporeal form as she reached out and placed a transparent hand on his shoulder. _"You have no idea of the events you've set into motion. You will need to be ready when the time comes. I will guide you. __The world is a vulnerable place. But you're the best one to protect it. Restore it."_

"You keep saying that." His eyes narrowed furiously, exasperation evident in those white orbs as he shook her hand off. "Zeus said the same. What exactly am I supposed to do?"

_"Restore us. Find those who are worthy, those who can see. Seek them out."_

"What, and just turn them into Gods?" he scoffed.

Ever patient, Athena remained unruffled in the face of his challenge. _"You know as well as I that this is not how it works; Zeus is a part of you, not the other way around. As to those deemed worthy, they will still exist as a whole. They will simply be...more than they once were-_

"Me?" his arms rose as though to ward her off. "Whoa now, I never agreed to save the world or anything...as a matter of fact, I'm going to be late. I suppose I should thank you for these weapons." Before Athena could think to stop him he flowed up around her, darting out the alley in a burst of speed.

The sudden reply and departure catching her off guard, she drifted out after him. To her dismay, the whitehead was already long gone.

_"You are a God of Olympus now, Naruto!"_ Athena called to his back-her words ringing in his ears and his alone-reminding him of his duty. _"You have no place here with the mortals! Whatever trappings you once aspired to are best left behind with that pink-haired wench of yours!"_

To the surprise of the Goddess, he ground to a halt. In a flash he was before her once more, sparks shooting from his eyes. "What do you know about her?"

_"I know enough; you are not the only one I have watched all these years..." _she drifted forward carefully, seeing the rage of a god glimmering in those white eyes. Her words however, were anything but. They were like a series of searing knives, stabbing fiercely into his heart, cutting, gouging it out._ "She doesn't favor you, in the way you do her; she would rather dote upon the Uchiha whelp." _A sniff._ "She isn't even worthy of being a priestess. You are should forget about her, Naruto. Your affections are wasted on one such as that, as I'm sure you already know now."_

"I," he faltered, his stern facade momentarily crumbling. For a moment she dared hope. Then a scowl stole over his face.

...I've heard enough of this." Snarling, he spun around sharply and stalked off, never once looking back.

_"This isn't something you can run from, Naruto!"_

"Watch me!"

Inwardly though, he was beginning to fear that Athena was right; she well and truly wouldn't let this drop.

* * *

Athena watched the back of the retreating God and felt a strange emotion. One she hadn't experienced in a long time.

Remorse.

She could see the scales tipping inside him; the human within weighing against his new godlike state. Against his anger. And losing. Naruto might want to dwelll with the mortals, but Zeus? The spark of her father that resided within him and influenced his thought would never allow it. The new God would learn soon enough. Mortals were needed for more than just the occassional diversion-or dalliance in the case of Zeus. Their praise and worship were needed for it was the sustenance on which they survived.

And although Athena had admittedly been fond of a few humans during the days of Olympus she had never let their wellbeing take precedence over her own. Still, they were needed.

Without some form of worship, be it respect, praise or even a base emotion such as fear, they could not be sustained. Worship from the mortals was sustenance for the Gods. And without it, they were nothing. Without it, they were weak. _Vulnerable._ Aphrodite had learned that lesson the hard way. She had not fallen by Kratos' hand, but rather withered away slowly over the years until one day she was simply _gone._ Many of the other deities had also perished in such a manner, even those who had distance themselves from Olympus before the final battle.

She had only survied thanks to her own foresight, choosing what might have been an eternal slumber in her incorporeal form rather than a slow death. Aware, yet unable to act.

In her heart, The Goddess of Wisdom knew it was only a matter of time before Zeus' successor finally grew weary of living with the mortals, before realizing just how far above them he truly was. Unfortunately, therein lie the problem. Time was something she possessed endless amounts of. Naruto however, did not. He, for all his newfound immortality, had a finite amount before the world came crashing down on his head.

With the return of Zeus, the old world was beginning to return as well. Ancient forces were stirring in the deep. Her return was proof of that. She'd slumbered for countless eons, unable to awaken until the moment the essence of her father poured into the willing host and created a God once more. Even now she could feel them infringing on the corners of her vision, tainting her senses with a thin layer of foulness. It wouldn't be long now. Not long at all. Perhaps there was prudence to be had in patience. He would come around to her way of thinking soon enough.

She'd been wise not to gift him the Blade of Olympus...yet. He wasn't ready for that sort of power. He might never be.

In a way he reminded her of Kratos. But unlike the Spartan he was not shaped by grief and loss nor was he yet consumed by the fires of vengeance. He was made from a different mold; cut from a different cloth-one of scorn and mistrust, yet also the belief in doing the right thing. There, in that alone, he stood apart from the Ghost of Sparta. She could not shape him as she might desire, she could only guide him along the path, show him the right way. And that meant patience. No matter how much she might wish it were otherwise. Defiance still roared high in those bright eyes, not unlike those of his Spartan ancestor.

Athena had never felt like crying was possible for her until Kratos had slain himself with the Blade of Olympus. Only then, did she know that the evils of the box had infected her as well, that she was as greedy as a God could become. The hope she had made, the power that would have ruled the world so beautifully went to senseless mortals that had no idea what to do with it at the time. She had lost, gracelessly and tastelessly. Then she wanted to kill him twice over and cry _because_ she had lost. She'd wanted to throw a tantrum and scream like that mortal Persephone had.

Yet she hadn't been able to, because the Ghost of Sparta had died-she hoped-that day. She'd never found the body.

But in a stroke of luck, her defeat at his hands had actually proved cathartic by the end. Athena had truly seen the depth of her own corruption that day, realized mired she'd become in her own self delusion. Her goals were purer this time, no longer the lofty ambitions to rule the world alone as the lone Goddess. She could still feel the evils of Greed deep inside her, festering like an old wound. But now that she knew of this insidious prescence, now that she was aware of this weakness, she knew how to stop it. Whenever she felt herself slipping, as she often did, she would drag herself back and remind her of her duty. And right now, that duty was to make certain that the New Age of the Gods didn't end before it could begin.

The Goddess of Wisdom kept telling herself that, reminding herself of the terror that had come when Kratos had pushed them to the brink of extinction. Because the Gods weren't perfect. They could bleed.

They could die.

Perhaps a gentle nudge was needed after all, she mused, drifting after him, an unseen wraith to all the eyes of Konoha. The gears of her mind were already hard at work, formulating a plan. Not something so dramatic as to change his views on mankind but rather a minor act. Something to inspire him. Naruto might hold the power of Zeus in his hands now, but one God could not stand alone against the coming darkness.

_He needed allies._

* * *

Kiba was bored.

No, boredom implied that this couldn't be any worse than it already was. There, you'd be wrong. He was _beyond_ bored.

The last five minutes of their graduation had passed in agonizing slowness, marked only by the occasional tick of the overhead clock. They'd been forced to sit and stare and _listen _to a long, grating speech, from their instructor. Some no - name Chunin who'd apparently made it his life's misssion to bore them to death before they were assigned their teams. The man went on and on about the history of Konoha, and just how lucky they were to be graduating in this time of relative peace and the rules of being a shinobi, something they'd covered countless times in class.

He was half-tempted to say something-anything-to make the man shut his gob. The sooner he stopped talking, the sooner they could be assigned their teams. He wanted to see some action! Anything, even one of the lame D-ranked missions he'd heard about. It _had _to be better than listening to this guy bray on and on and _on..._

Where was Naruto in all this? Rumor had it his friend had taken an extra makeup course or something and would be graduating with them, but as there was no sign of him it seemed. A tiny despondent sigh sounded in his ears to the right; he didn't need to look to know that Hinata was feeling his abscence most keenly. Maybe he'd failed after all-

As if to answer that very thought the door slammed open with a deafening crack. The chunin who'd been standing nearby found his speech ground to a sudden and abrupt halt, his body flattened neatly against the wall like a pancake; mind consigned to blissful slumber. Kiba might've found the scene funny, if the newcomer's appearance hadn't made him go bone white. Atop his head, Akamaru whined softly, and made as to cover his little head with both paws. Kiba smelled it as well.

The scent of blood. Not enough for anyone short of an Inuzuka to notice, but it was there. Beside him Hinata's breath hitched in her throat. Kiba frowned, not understanding the cause for her sudden inhalation. Then _he _the intruder, stepped into the light.

"What in the-?!"

Almost immediately he recognized the stranger, despite the subtle scent of death lingering on him. Something _short-circuited_ his mind refused to wrap itself around the godlike figure stalking into the room. _Look again!_ his brain told his eyes. _We are!_ they said. _Its real!_ Entering the classroom was a face he knew and yet did not know. If it weren't for those whiskers he might not have known him at all. He stood a good head taller than before, and in something that wasn't orange and blue. His bare arms were lined with a thin veneer of muscle that hadn't existed yeterday, all traces of baby fat burned away from his stern, tanned visage.

It was Naruto's face, yet not his face. White eyes glittered in place of blue, shining as though lit from within. The bangs of ash-white hair framed his face, no longer that unruly spikey mess that he'd seen only yesterday in the yard but longer somehow, eerie similair to that of the Fourth Hokage. Whatever familiar resemblance there might've been fell away when Kiba laid eyes on his...weapons. Gauntlets of chain wrathed and sheathed his forearms, leading up to a menacing pair of golden shortswords on his back. And then he spoke.

"Am I late?" he asked.

Kiba jerked upright, his brain finally rebooting. That voice, those whisker marks...

_"Naruto?!" _It was Ino, not Kiba, who found her voice first.

A curtain of silence suddenly fell on the clasroom, weighing against the boy. One of her arms extended toward him, finger pointing in disbelief. And with it all the eyes of the potential genin in the room. Not so long ago, the pariah would've preened under such attention and started boasting loudly. Now? Nothing of the sort.

He merely smiled.

"In the flesh, Ino-san." the young god answered, sliding into the vacant seat beside Kiba. "More or less."

Kiba bit back an incredulous snort and elbowed him in the ribs. Ow! It was like striking stone. He flinched and rubbed at his arm, hissing softly.

"Dude, what the hell happened to you?"

Naruto laid his chin to rest on a fist said nothing for a beat, his grey eyes staring straight athead as though he were actively weighing his response. Finally he shifted, the motion causing the chains on his back to ripple quietly with movement, their languid links clinking together quietly. His mouth opened. Closed. Opened again. Kiba could still smell the blood on his friend but, he refused to believe that Naruto had actually resorted to violence without being provoked. Even with his new...state of being.

"Lets just say I passed the test." Naruto said at last.

Sakura actually seemed to take an interest in that, however slight. She leaned down from the row above them, her green eyes regarding the reborn blond with just a hint of curiosity.

"What kind of test?" she asked.

Kiba felt his smile slip an inch as the Haruno intruded on their conversation. He recalled how Naruto usually leapt at the slightest scrap of attention from Sakura and immediately braced himself as he prepared to see his chum turn to mere putty in her hands. But when those wicked white eyes turned toward the pinkette now, there was only disquiet lurking in their depths. Uncertainty. There was also something else. Anger. Whether he felt this for himself or her, Kiba didn't know. Still, he'd lived long enough in his clan to know discord when he saw it.

"Sorry," a note of strain entered his voice; the smile painted on his face false and nothing more. "Iruka-sensei said I'm not allowed to discuss it."

"Oh, alright. Anyway, as I was saying, Sasuke-kun," Just like that, her interest in the matter evaporated, and she returned the full of her gaze to Sasuke as she continued their strange, one-sided conversation. For the most part the Uchiha paid her no heed, too lost in his own brooding to realize he was even involved. In that instant, something ugly flashed in Naruto's eyes. Of whatever it was Kiba only caught a tiny glimpse, but the sight of it was enough to unnerve even him. And then it was gone, replaced by a great weariness.

Naruto sighed bitterly and shook his head. "Guess she was right after all."

Kiba arched an eyebrow. _She?_

Drawn from her coccoon of shyness by the suffering of her crush, Hinata dared to speak, then. "Naruto-kun...are you a-alright?"

The God opened his mouth to snap at her and immediately thought better of it. He gained nothing from lashing at someone who was trying to be nice. _Nice._ Something clicked in the back of his brain, unfettered by the feelings he'd held for Sakura-withering and dying with each passing second. Hinata always went out of her way to be nice to him. Why was that? What did she have to gain from it? Nothing. Not a thing. For the longest time he'd thought her strange, weird even with her nervous glances and shy stuttering. Always flushing whenever he was near. Averting her gaze-

The realization hit him like a thunderbolt. In the same instant, the scroll blazed like fire in his pcoket.

_No..._

That was when he saw Athena. She'd drifted into the room at some point when he wasn't looking, and now as he looked on, she drifted to hover over Hinata. An approving smile wreathed her visage. Naruto seethed, a muscle jumping in his jaw as she reached down and laid an ethereal hand on the Hyuuga's head. No one seemed to notice the Goddess, or even her prescence. _What fresh madness is this,_ he wondered, gawping. _Am I the only one who can see her there?_

_"Such potential,"_ she mused. _"I see many here who would make fine Gods."_

Naruto glared at Athena, willing her away. Infuriatingly, the Goddess lingered, drifting towards Kiba instead. _Go away!_ he thought at her. She obeyed with a deferential nod, but the look in her eyes told him that Athena was far from done with him.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata's voice, faint and hesitant, sounded in his ear and drew him back to the present.

"I'm fine, Hinata." he muttered, placing his head in both hands. "Just...fine."

Hinata noted the faint note of sadness in his voice and the pain haunting his gaze. Regret stung at her. She should not have approached the subject, as it obviously caused him grief. To her surprise however, he cleared his throat and continued, a renewed, professional vigor in his voice.

"So did they decide the teams before I got here? Was I too late for that?"

"Um...

Sasuke snorted, overriding her. "Late as ever, dobe-

_CA-RUNCH!_

The Uchiha jolted out of his seat with a startled, and decidedly _unmanly _yelp as the Blades of Athena slashed precisely at him. It all happened with ridiculous speed; one moment they were nestled comfortably against his back; the next Naruto yanked on the chain and they were in his hands, flying from their master's back to his hands, then launching crunch heavily into the desk he'd occupied not a moment before. Naruto tilted his head to the side and planted a foot down on the savaged wood, the beginnings of an angry grin adjourning his whiskered visage as he glared down as his rival. Savage satisfaction ripped through him in a searing wave of pleasure.

Here was someone who'd made a fool of him more than once during his lifetime, and now, with but a flick of his wrist, he'd turned the tables. It felt good. Liberating. He was suddenly intensely grateful that Athena had given him the blades, they allowed him to make use of his gifts when a bolt of lightning would have been overkill. He fed on the anger in those dark pools, the fear, drank it in and became stronger from it.

"I wasn't speaking to you." he said, ripping his weapons free from the wood with a visible yank. "Unless you'd like my blades to do the talking?" Sasuke seethed at the slight, but otherwise remained silent as he climbed back into his seat. Sakura shot him a disbelieving look. Naruto ignored it.

"Ha!" Kiba crowed, slapping his own desk with a hand. "Nice one." Akamaru chorused this with a happy yelp. The Godling nodded and sheathed his blades once more.

"Seriously though, did I miss anything?"

"Nah." his friend drawled, gesturing to the still prone form of the Chunin. "Dude was going on and _on_ before you finally shut him up. Thanks for that, by the way."

"Anytime."

"Don't look now boys, but I think ol' blabbermouth over there's waking up." Ino sighed into her palm.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered in agreement.

Sure enough the insensate instructor was stirring. As they looked on he clamored to his feet, glancing about in confusion. "Wha...where?" Then he saw the students and seemed to remember his speech. "Ah, yes. Sorry about that, I must've dozed off. Now where was I...ah! As Genin, you lot will be-

Ino moaned and slumped in her seat, covering her ears with both hands. "Oh God, here we go again."

But before he could continue to utter his words anew, Athena reappeared. Before Naruto's very eyes the ghost of the Goddess emerged from the wall behind the man and merged with him. The Chunin jerked, spasming in a tiny spasm of motion, his head slumping momentarily. When he raised his eyes, to Naruto, they were decidedly green.

Naruto hissed. _Athena!_ Would her meddling never end?!

"Oh," the chunin began in a monotone, sounding as though he'd just awoken from a great and long slumber. "I suppose...yes, I should tell you lot where you've been assigned. I've kept you waiting long enough." Well, that was a welcome improvement, Naruto decided. He wasn't in the mood for a speech; nor would he oppose Athena if she wished to hasten things along. Before their very eyes the possessed shinobi dippsed a hand to his pocket and emerged with a piece of paper in his hand, one from which he dutifully began to read.

"Lets see, first Team Seven...Uzumaki Naruto...Inzuka Kiba and...Yamanaka Ino."

"What?!" the blond cried in dismay, jerking up out of her seat. "No way! I'm stuck with those two?!"

Sakura snorted.

Kiba howled with laughter. "Works for me!"

Naruto blinked, pleasantly surprised by the lineup. "Oh." Kiba was one of his few friends, and Ino, well, he didn't know her enough to hate her. Certainly better than Sakura at any rate. All things considered, it could've been much worse. They could've stuck him with Sakura _and _Sasuke. There was a fresh hell he didn't wish to suffer from. He could still feel the scroll warming his pocket as he glanced at Hinata however and stubbornly resisted the urge to touch it.

The rest of the teams were assembled in relatively short order, though Naruto paid little attention to either of them. Chouji, Hinata and Sakura were paired on one. Shikamaru, Sasuke and Shino went on another. Their individual sensei came to collect them one by one, until only Team Seven remained. Five minutes passed. Ten. Fifteen. Twenty. The chunin who'd been lecturing them eventually departed as well-released from Athena's control to go about his own business. Even the Goddess left, providing Naruto with a much-needed reprieve.

But by the time nearly half an hour had passed even his newfound patience was beginning to fray.

"Gah! What is _taking_ him so long?!"

Ino groaned and sprawled herself across her desk fitfully, kicking her long legs in exasperation. "We've been waiting here for hours!"

"Its only been thirty minutes." Kiba pointed out, pausing in his game of fetch with Akamaru.

"Bleh!" The blonde stuck out her tongue. "Says you!"

"He'll be here." Naruto replied tonelessly as his head swiveled towards her, though his white eyes remained screwed silent-shut. "Just be patient." Ino turned to glance at him, momentarily bemused to find the blond sitting crosslegged on the floor. Meditating. Naruto _never_ meditated. As long as she'd known her fellow blond he'd been far too hyper for that sort of thing, unable to sit still for more than a moment. Now he was still _and_ at rest, utterly unfazed by the long wait. The only sign of his irritation stood in the way his hands would occassionally clench and unclench, causing the chains on his arms and weapons to rattle from the motion.

Ino pullled herself off the desk and fell into a crouch, watching as he calmly inhaled and exhaled. Observing. Peering, as his toned chest rose and fell with easy grace...kami alive those were some fine muscles, not at all like the pale, lean form of Sasuke-

_Down girl! _she ruthlessly drop-kicked her libido back into oblivion. So what if he'd learned a new trick or two-or even gotten new weapons? It was all an act. It had to be. There was no way he could change this much in one day. Everything she knew about reality said it was simply impossible. She didn't bear him any ill-will, she just didn't believe this bull about a test.

"Seriously, what's up with that?" the Yamanaka asked, approaching him. "I barely even recognize you in that get-up. When'd you learn the transformation jutsu?"

"I didn't."

"C'mon, you can tell us!"

"It's not a henge, Ino." Naruto restrained a small smile as she circled him. "This is how I look now."

"Yeah, and I'm Lady Tsunade!"

One eye creaked open. "Not with a chest like that you aren't."

The blonde turned a sputtering shade of pink. "W-W-W-W-What?!"

Kiba started howling with laughter and fell woofing out of his chair with Akamaru. "Oh, that was _rich!"_

Naruto chuckled quietly as well, the ghost of a smile pulling at his lips as Ino struggled to form a sentence to his subtle dig. After everything he'd been through today, this felt almost, normal. It was freeing to act like a teenager again, and not an almighty god capable of snuffing out their lives in an instant. In a way, part of him longed to return to that sense of normalcy, to cling to what had once been an easy life. His life. If he could hold onto the good within and discard the bad, then he would be content. He would be still.

But _Ino_ didn't stay still for very long. "Why you little-

"Ow." he winced slightly as she grabbed his white tresses and yanked. "That hurt, ya know." Ino gawped at the fistful of hair in her hand. No way. Not possible. She whalloped him on the arm. Hard. All she received for her troubles was a bruised knuckle and an amused laugh from the whitehead.

"YEOW!"

"Bad idea," he chided. "I'm kinda durable now."

"Yeah, I noticed-" Blue eyes bulged as she realized what'd just happened. If it was a henge, a good smack or application of force should've dispelled it. Muttering to herself, she pressed her fingers together and utttered "kai" to herself, but nothing happened. Her eyes, already large as dinner plates, grew even larger. "Holy crap! You're real!"

"Quite."

"I coulda told ya that." Kiba snickered into a hand. "We both know Naruto's no good at genjutsu."

_"Libel!"_

"Seriously," Ino murmurred, reaching down to tug at his face. "How'd you go from a scrawny little kid to_...this?"_ Naruto humored her for a moment, allowing her to stretch and pull at his cheek before he finally decided enough was enough. For all his earlier words, he was _dying _to tell someone the truth of what had happened to him-to confide in them the horrors that he'd been through in the last day. Iruka knew only a fraction of the truth, and he wasn't ready to tell Ayame or old man Teuchi what'd happened. They'd think him crazy. But maybe, just maybe, he could tell them. Kiba he could trust; the Inuzuka had always taken his antics in stride-a brother of sorts, if you will. But Ino...ah, hell.

Only a day into his new existence, and Zeus was already tired of being alone.

"What you do with the power of a god?" he asked.

"What?" she blinked, baffled by his inquiry.

"I said, what would you do, if you had the power of a God?" Naruto dipped a hand into his pocket, retrieving the scroll. Scarce had it cleared his pocket than the parchment started to glow a warm, cherry red. "Well? I'll wait for the answer."

Kiba frowned. "Where'd you get that?"

"I'm...not at liberty to say. What would you do?"

"Me?" the Inuzuka blinked. "Dunno. Guess I'd use it to become an awesome ninja or something."

"It doesn't work that way."

It shone blindingly bright now, almost painful for even his eyes to look at. Kiba hissed and averted his eyes, shielding his face with an arm. Akamaru drew back with a whimper. But not Ino. This close, though the lights still stung at her eyes, she found she could read the scroll. Alien text, words that should have been foreign to her eyes were read as clear as day. Her hand reached out, drawn to touch it, almost against her will. Naruto said nothing, he simply held it there, unflinching in the face of her confusion.

"I-

She never had a chance to answer that question. Not today; because the door swung open. Naruto shoved the scroll back into its pouch just as someone stepped through.

"Hello, there!"

They found themselves face to face with a man who very much resembled a scarescrow. Clad in the standard jonin fatigues he wasn't much to look at; neither was that bright crop of silver hair poking up from his head like a greasy spike of sorts. His face lay hidden in a half mask, one eye held captive behind his headband. He was, all things, decidedly odd. His lone eye took them in at a glance, lingered on Naruto, then creased in an upside down u-shape of a smile.

"Sorry I'm late," he said slowly. "I was busy helping an old lady across the street."

"For thirty minutes?" Ino challenged

"I got lost on the road of life." came the lackadasial reply.

The trio sweatdropped.

"Riiiiiiight...

"Alright then," without even pausing to give his name, the man jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Let's get introductions underway, shall we? Follow me, please." With that he spun on his heel, leaving the baffled genin to do just as he'd said. Naruto was the first one out, enduring questioning looks from both Ino and Kiba. He knew he'd just opened the proverbial pandora's box-and they were bound to have questions after what they'd just witnessed. But they held their tongues as they climbed the stairs after him, following their Jonin-sensei to the roof.

"Alright," he began. "Lets start with likes, dislikes, dreams, that sort of thing."

The trio exchanged a shared look.

"Why don't you go first?"

"Me?" his lone eye blinked once. "Sure. I'm Hatake Kakashi. I have no intention of telling you my likes or dislikes. As for my dream..." he trailed off. "I have a few hobbies. Alright. Your turn. Lets see...how about you, with the white hair?"

Naruto suddenly found himself under that cyclopean gaze. Only yesterday he would've gladly accepted the invitation, espousing his name and dreams for his teacher to hear. But now.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto." he began slowly-carefully-unflinching beneath the lazy stare. "I like...well, I'm not really sure what I like anymore, besides ramen. I hate people who try to use me for their own means. My hobby is...I'm not sure what it is. My dream?" his eyes wandered to his hand, considering. Athena's words echoed in his mind. He turned them end over end, weighing, dissecting each syllable. Then, he made his decision. "To restore what has been lost with what has been given to me." he said at last, raising his irisless gaze.

"That's kind of vague, don't you think?"

_Zap!_

Naruto lowered a tanned forearm, his fingers still crackling from the sudden discharge of light. The smell of burnt hair filled the training ground. Noses curled. As the infamous Copycat looked on, a few stray strands of silver hair flutttered to the floor at his feet, along with the remains of his now scorched headband, the cloth smoldering softly in the wind. Beneath the mask Kakashi's lips pursed into a thin frown. He hadn't even seen him move his arm. In the distance, a deafening crack signalled the detonation of the thunderbolt in the cloudy skies.

"Better?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi gulped.

"Well, that's wasn't very nice."

"I'm sorry," the demigod's smile was decidedly cheeky. "I thought you wanted me to clarify."

Kakashi sweatdropped. Sarutobi had told him that Naruto had changed, but this...this was unreal. _Minato, just what has your son become...?_

Shaking himself, and careful to keep his newly visible eye closed, the copycat patted himself down and retrieved his headband. "Okay, I think that's it for introductions. Next?"

Ino bristled as that eerie eye settled upon herl.

"Well, my name is Yamanaka Ino and I like...

* * *

**_"ZEUS!"_**

_Naruto jerked away with a pained hiss, clutching at the bleeding gash in his arm. His foe advanced after him mercilessly, sword swinging with reckless abandon. His eyes gleamed with an unholy fury, a fierce fire that transcended life and death. He fought against him with all his might, thunderbolts flying from his hands, the blades of Athena crackling mercilessly against the great broad-sword of his opponent. But his foe, whoever he was, was a better warrior than him. The God gave as good as he got but in the end, it wasn't enough._

_His attacker beat him back relentlessly, driving him down to the ground, pinning him to the ground with a sandalled foot._

_"This time you will not escape me!" that same, guttural voice, hoarse from shouting. He raised the blade high, its edge crackling with deadly blue light. "You will die with the rest!" He tried to speak, but all that came was a snarl. The blade stabbed down at his chest and he twisted aside, feeling it slam into his stomach, piercing his flesh. His hands shot up, grabbing the blade, grappling furiously with its wielder to keep him at bay and prevent him from goring him on the blade, even as his strength slipped away. Somewhere in the distance, someone screamed._

_"Naruto!"_

**"!"**

White eyes snapped open with a mighty gasp and crackle of electricity, staring unerringly into the gloom as they awoke from fitful slumber. He hadn't been able to sleep deeply. Nightmarish visions had haunted him the moment he had fallen into the arms of Morpheus, haunting him as he slumbered. Scenes of blood and death and destruction-the world burning around him. A man had been there, holding a massive blue blade. His skin white as ash, wreathed in the blood of his victims. His blood. His body convulsed from the phantom pain.

_Death,_ he realized._ I saw my death. Didn't I?_

But what had woken him?

_"Naruto."_

He turned his head, and saw Athena, lingering in the darkened corner of his room. That wasn't what had caused him to stir. It was her smile.

_"You have company, young one."_

He'd heard a name. Someone else had called him but who...? There. Movement, in the blackness. The God was up in an instant, his fingers wrapping around a soft, human throat. A strangled squeak graced his ears as he slammed the intruder down onto the bed, the now vacant mattress creaking mightily beneath their combined weight. A blade was instantly in his free hand, its deadly edge pressing down with quiet severity against the forehead of the unlucky intruder. Purple garments caught his eye.

"Who sent you?!"

"Stop!" A female voice whimpered. "Naruto! Its me!"

Naruto blinked, his eyes adjusting reluctantly in the glare of his lightning. Blue eyes stared back at him from within a pale, heart-shaped face, pupils wide and dialated with raw terror. Ino. He jerked backwards with an annoyed growl, releasing his grip on her throat. She gasped, massaging at her throat, her eyes following him as he stepped away. His eyes strayed to the window of his dilapidated apartment, the same room he'd lived in all these years. He peered out into the gloom of his room.

A swift glance at the clock confirmed that it was a quarter past midnight. Five hours to try and get some sleep.

It was night now, and his mind was quick to recall where he was and what had happened. After his little stunt, after Ino and Kiba had introduced themselves, Kakashi had announced that they wouldn't be going on any missions. They had a survival exercise tomorrow. He didn't know if it was a form of petty revenge on Kakashi's part or not, but he was certain the man took a perverse pleasure in telling them to arrive at their training grounds at five in the morning. He didn't have time for this.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"I," the blond choked, "Wanted to ask you about that scroll...

"Ask." he whirled away from her, pulling a shirt on. Wait a minute. Cold dread knotted in his stomach as he pushed his hair out of the way and tugged the shirt over his head. Sure enough, when he turned around, she was holding it in her hand, its surface shimmering softly in her hands. _Crap._ He quietly cursed himself for not keeping it closer at hand. Naruto swallowed quietly. This could turn very bad, very quickly. It was already a situation; and there was nothing he could do to stop her from reading the scroll or the letter contained within.

"Put that down."

"Oh my god." She murmurred with horror, lifting her gaze to meet his. _"She_ was right. You were telling the truth. This...all of it...what did you do to yourself, Naruto?"

She? His gaze cut to the silent spectre sitting in the corner. _Athena!_

"Ino." his voice dropped a decibel, his fingers brushing the hilt of his blades. "Put. It. Down. I don't know what she told you, but you have no idea of the forces you're playing with. You're not ready. They could kill you-

"Or they could make me like you." she clutched it tighter. "Naruto, please."

"Hand it over." He started forward. "I wasn't asking."

"What are you going to do?" she challenged, her eyes glinting defiantly as she rose to her feet. "You'll kill me? You're not a murderer-eeep!"

The air rushed out of her lungs with a painful _whooosh_ of sound as the God of Storms blurred forward, his knee slamming hard into her stomach with enough force to toss her back into the wall. Ino doubled over with a gasp, suddenly aware of the lone arm holding her up, keeping her from falling. Another reached down to tilt her head up by the chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. Naruto stared down at her with those burning orbs, still shining with white light. He wasn't smiling. Not anymore. Ino shivered. Somehow, she still held onto the scroll.

"You have no idea what I am." he whispered, his voice trickling into her ear like a lover's carress. "I'm not the Naruto you knew. I could gut you right now, and they'd never know it was me." He'd do it too; she saw the anger burning in him, felt it radiating off him in a wave of static discharge. "Don't you understand? This isn't a game, Ino." His hand closed on hers in a vice, ready to rip the scroll away. "I never should have shown you and Kiba this; it was a moment of weakness, nothing more."

"You wanted to know what I would do," she began slowly. "If I had the kind of power you were talking about."

"Let me guess? Hit up Sasuke?" he couldn't help it; the anger spilled out of him in a rush. "Rub it in Sakura's face? You're no better than her."

"No, you ass." she snapped back at him, ignoring his startled look. "I'd use that power to _be_ someone. Not the daughter of a famous shinobi, not some fangirl of Sasuke-kun. I want to be somebody. Someone different, than who I am now. Just give me a chance." he knew she was begging now, he could see the tears in her eyes. "Please!"

"And you think this power can do that for you."

"Yes!" she cried.

"Its not just about the power, its the responsibility." he began to pry her fingers away, one by one, ignoring her protests. "If you take it, you have a duty. Not just to yourself, but the world. Lets face it. You may be my teammate, but I barely know you, and lets not even get started on the whole trust thing. I don't know you, therefore I can't take the risk that you'll abuse this gift." He half-expected Athena to intervene but she did not move; remaining motionless, almost statuesque in her silence. Meanwhile, Ino continued to plead.

"Naruto, I'm not a bad person! I-

_"Ow!"_

Naruto glanced down, realizing he'd drawn Ino's blood; so tight had he dug his fingers into her hand. Slowly, painstakingly, he watched that blood trickle down onto the scroll. His body jerked back almost of its own will, distancing itself from what was about to happen, leaving her to slump forward. White eyes bulged.

"Oh, no."

In the corner, Athena smiled. _"Finally."_

"What do you mean finally?!" Naruto snapped at her! "You caused this!"

_"This was bound to happen sooner or later."_ the ghost of the Goddess deflected his anger with a small smile. _"I merely accelerated the proccess; none but us will hear her thanks to the barrier I erecited. And if she lives you'll have a companion. After all, you were never meant to live alone, Zeus."_

"That's not my name!"

_"Yes,"_ she said, _"It is."_

A whimper caused him to cut his eyes back to his victim. Yes. His. He'd stared this with his foolishness. Now he had to bear the consequences of his actions. This was the responsibility he'd dreaded.

"Na...ru...to..." When Ino looked at him, her eyes were burning and bright, voice warbling as she clutched at her midsection. She looked pale. And in that instant, he knew there was nothing he could do for her but pray that whatever forces had created him, would not unmake her. "What's happening to me...?"

Naruto took pity on her and took her hand in his. "I tried to warn you."

"It...hurts...

"Yeah, that's going to happen." he soothed. "Listen, whatever happens, try to hold on. If not...it won't be pretty.

"What do you meaaaaaaaan!" Ino's voice suddenly pitched into a wail, a soundless, senseless scream tearing at his eardrums. The scroll flared an angry green, its jaden radiance searing up her arms and into her chest, bursting at the four walls of the apartment. And still, he held on. It was different than the furious wrath that had first unmade him, there was a raw vitality to it that suggested more was at work here than met the eye, more than he could comprehend. Within the vortex he could see a change taking place, his close proximity buffeting him with wrath and wind. Still the tempest raged on, threatening to bring the very tenement down on their heads.

"Just hang on!"

Ino screamed, one final time, her voice pitching in agony.

And then there was only light.

**A/N: And there we go! The Gods of Greece will be returning! And I've gone and mixed up the teams! Why, you ask? Because we're breaking from canon here, people! I want this story to be fresh, interesting, and most of all, entertaining! Of course, Wave will still happen, as I've major plans for Haku and Zabuza. I wonder if the Demon of the Mist ought to become the God of the Sea? Hmm, so many ideas! And another thing, one I'm sure you've all noticed.**

** Ino's slightly LESS of a Sasuke fangirl in this story, -of course she's still crushing on the broody bastard, but not so much as to let it COMPLETELY affect her ninja career. Athena's machinations are far-reaching however, who knows what she's really up to? And what is this dark force creeping up on our heroes? Will Ino become a Goddess? If so, which one? Or has she sealed her own fate and crippled herself forevermore? Find out next time, on Return of the Gods! Now for the disclaimer!**

**This is a slight God of War crossover, most involving the various deities seen in the games, much hilarity, chaos, triumph and pain that is to come. And I own nothing-save the idea. I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading this new tale dear readers, and I hope to hear from you as to what you think of this work! Naruto is essentially Zeus as of now, and Zeus is him-as to the rest of the pantheon and what-who-exactly they will become, well, that remains to be seen now, doesn't it? Pairing undecided! I leave that up to you, dear readers!**

**So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...**

**...Review...Would You Kindly? And of course, enjoy the preview! I worked really hard, so I hope you'll review! I wonder who attains godhood next...cliffhanger incoming!**

**(Preview!)**

_Clang!_

_Naruto twisted casually aside, diverting a kunai with a flick of his wrist. The blade bounced off the Blades of Athena with a mighty clang, sending the projectile shooting into the underbrush. Slowly, almost casually, he turned his gaze on Kakashi. The jonin frowned slightly. Another swing of the blades sent them spiralling outward, forcing the jonin on his back foot. When he'd told them to try and get the bells, he'd half-expected the kids to rush him. Instead, Naruto had chosen to face him. Alone._

_For the last five minutes he'd done nothing but defend, rarely choosing to go on the offense, always keeping him at arms length with both his bolts and blades. Kiba was nowhere to be seen and neither was Ino, which might've been just a little distressing if he'd considered them a threat._

_"You do realize that you'll never get a bell from me if you keep swinging those swords around." he said._

_"Don't need to." the God answered, calling the swords back to him. "I've kept you busy long enough to read your moves."_

_"Have you now?"_

_Naruto's only response was a smile._

_"Gatsuga!"_

_In the same instant that Kiba and Akamaru leapt from the trees, so did Kakashi on the ground. Both man and mutt came spiraling forward as one-crashing into the earth just as he jumped backwards. Foolish. They had to know that a frontal attack would never work, and the moment his feet touched the ground he'd be able to retreat again-_

_That was when he heard it. While he was still in the air. Unable to move._

_"Mind Transfer jutsu!"_

_Crap._

**R&amp;R!=D**


	3. Don't Get in My Way

**A/N: Alright ladies and gentlemen, I'm alive! I've been better given all the problems I've been going through, but I'm still breathing. Still kicking. I've been on a Mass Effect craze as of late as I'm sure you all noticed; its just my way of coping with life atm. Not only has my stupid heart failed on me again, but I've been suffering through the loss of several family members. Add to that the state of my joblessness and the school bills that keep racking up, and I'm in a bit of a tight spot at the moment. Yet here I am, fighting this damned depression, not giving into despair. To all my readers/reviewers who have encourage me in this time, I say this:**

**Thank you all for you support, and here's hoping I make it through the rough road ahead of me! *Raises glass in a toast* Long live Fanfiction! And in case my health goes south...Love ya'll! Expect an update for Bring Down the Sky to be coming soon! Remember, I own nothing! And prepare for a shocker! And of course, a fair bit of humor! But in this chapter there is a great deal of action-not to mention a shocking revelation for poor Naruto regarding the reapers, one. that may just send our favorite blond over the edge...**

**ALSO! My computer is down! BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH! I literally woke up this morning and it wouldn't work-whereas it was just FINE LAST NIGHT!? Anywho, I'm writing this from my stepdad's computer, so updates might be sporadic for a bit! Grrrrr...so angry right now! But hey, this is a nice looooong chapter, and we cover a lot of ground here! Also, I'm not going to tolerate any flames unless they're constructive criticism. So, fair warning! If you've nothing nice to say, please, don't say it. **

**Additionally, I've noticed I've gotten a bit of hate for choosing Ino as one of the Goddesses and sticking with Konoha for the time being. Someone even went so far as to say they were reporting for it. That made absolutely no sense to me, by the way. I worked really hard on this, despite the fact that I'm now working TWO JOBS. Seriously, if you thought Naruto was just going to bug out of Konoha right off the bat, you were wrong. I'm trying to go for a level of realisim here, folks. Naruto's going to grow and detest things more and more-a slow buildup if you will, but when it its the fan...all hell is going to break loose. PLEASE READ THE NOTE BELOW!**

**Hinata and Ino WILL be involved in the pairing of this story. There you have it. You have been forewarned. Don't like it, then don't read, please. I've had enough negative nellies for awhile, thank ye very much. Now...**

**...LOOOOONG CHAPTER AHEAD! With some rather interesting dialogue. A lot happnes here, ya'll! Hope ya like it!**

_"Anger isn't a passion, its a disease. It poisons your mind and eats at your soul."_

_~?_

**Don't Get in My Way**

I'll never forget that evening.

That night, I learned three valuable lessons. One, I needed to keep that damn scroll out of the reach of others. Two, I scared the ever-loving shit out of people. And three, Athena wasn't going to let me choose a middle ground. She was helllbent on the return of the Gods and would do anything to see the pantheon rise once more. Even if it meant going against my wishes. She might claim she was doing it "for my own good" but pretty words don't make treachery right.

I couldn't have that-allow someone to manipulate my actions-a puppeteer stringing my moves along at her whimsy. So I put a stop to it the only way I knew how. With violence.

Beautiful, gratuitous violence.

Remember, I hadn't yet mastered the subtle art of persuasion back then. Not like Morpheus or Dionysus. Talk about silver-tongued devils. I didn't have the sensual charms of Aphrodite to sway people to my cause. Not even the all-seeing eyes of Argos.

You, see I wasn't always what I am now; the all-powerful, all-seeing god capable of smiting someone from a continent away. I ask you to remember, you who are reading this, that was young. I had flaws. Faults. Don't we all? In no way was I perfect. Even with my newly acquired powers, and a great deal of anger at being used, some small part me believed I still had a place in Konoha.

Not for long.

With great power comes great responsibility. I've said this once before and I'll say it again. A great man told me the story once. I learned his lesson the hard way. My actions had consequences. Every act, no matter how small, produces a ripple in the sea that we call life. A change, if you will. Something like that, once begun, can never be stopped. I understood that relatively early. But that change was a tiny ripple in the ocean compared to the wave that was coming for me. I thought I was safe and secure in the contrite and the mediocre. One mission -one girl- changed all of that.

See, for all the responsibility I mentioned earlier, I still thought I was untouchable. I had been harmed mentally, but physically? Almost nothing could hurt me. It was my _mind_ that was the weakness. I thought that the cat was out of the bag so to speak, that Konoha had no more surprises for me. Turns out, I was wrong. The Hidden Leaf is a cruel mistress, demanding much of her suitors, and giving precious little in return. I'd seen it firsthand, but when the _incident_ occurred, well...you'll find out soon enough. Basically, something had to give.

In the end...

...I was forced to make a choice.

* * *

The light of day came painfully to Yamanaka Ino, moving in fits and spurts; a dying engine struggling to start.

Her mind was like a petulant child, refusing to rouse itself from the slumber into which it had fallen. But fate refused to allow her rest; something prodded her, forcing her from her fever dream and back to reality. What had happened? She drew a blank. The last thing she remembered was pain. Someone shouting at her. Then she'd have the strangest conversation with a woman -Goddess- whom she could barely bring herself to recall, let alone remember. Was it all a dream?

_'Gah, my head..._

Every fiber of her being ached, as if her cells had been struck by lightning. Maybe they had. Nothing was responding the way it should; she tried to stand, only to collapse into a heap at the foor of the bed. No one came to aid her, and she was left to fend for herself. Presented with such an up close and personal view of the room, the young kunoichi was momentarily apalled. Ino could see that portions of the floor had been charred and baked in places as though seared by fires. Walls dented with fistlike impressions. There was even a broken window to the right.

Shards of early morning sunlight slithered from that open window to stab furiously into her retinas; pained, glassy beams of pain slowly rousing her from her stupors. It was early, she realized. The second thing she realized was the mattress was hard. Lumpy, too. That couldn't be right. Her bed was silky and smooth, nothing like this uncomfortable flat. Now that she stopped to think of it, where was sh-_Shit._ Blue eyes snapped open with a start, finding-failing-to recognize her surroundings. A pained croak left her lips. Shouldn't she be at home? In _her_ bed? Wait a second, how did she-

"Rise and shine." a rough voice grunted, just within earshot.

Ino couldn't help herself; she _yelped._

She craned her neck, alarmed to find Naruto perched on a nearby table, watching her like a hawk. His expression was utterly inscruttable. She couldn't telll if he was inordinately pleased, or terribly angry. Memories of last night came rushing back in a fierce torrent of blazing agonies she didn't care to describe. Crapola. Ino risked a glance at Naruto, trying to gauge his emotional state and failing horribly. Double crapola. She had the distinct feeling his emotional state was not the lattter. But his expression remained opaque; utterly unreadable. Her eyes flinched away from his.

"Naruto...wha?" the voice that emerged from her throat was unmistakeably hers, but she almost didn't recognize it. A glass of water was suddenly thrust before her vision. She snatched at it greedily, the cooling water cleansing her parched throat. Gulping it down, she struggled to speak. "What happened?" Yup, definitely not her voice.

"Might want to take a look, there." he held up a mirror. Ino snatched it out of his hand and brought it to her face.

Her jaw dropped.

The face staring back at her was Ino, and yet not Ino. Her already pale skin was nearly ghost white now, as though it hadn't seen the sun in years. It actually looked good on her. Waves of golden curls-ACTUAL CURLS!-fell down her shoulders and back, spilling onto the floor around her. She seemed to have grown a head taller as well as...other areas. _Holy crap! You could pour drinks on these!_ She twisted around gawping. It was as if her entire body had gotten a jumpstart on puberty yet stopped halfway, just past the gangly limbs and awkward stumbling phase. Amber eyes stared back at her in place of her blue, wide with surprise.

"It worked," she mumbled. "Holy crap."

"Demeter." Naruto supplied proudly, answering her unspoken question with a decidedly sly smile. "Goddess of the Harvest. Able to heal almost any wound. Looks like you got lucky. If that'd been Aphrodite or Nemesis, or _especially_ Athena herself, you might not have made it. I suppose congratulations are in order." He sounded unusually cheeky, completley dismissing the facts-that she'd been laid out for nearly five hours. Wait. Five hours. The test! Training grounds! With a speed she'd never known to posses, the Yamanaka lurched upward.

"We need to go! We're going to be la-HEY!"

Her words died off into a strangled yelp as his hand closed around her arm with enough force to jerk her backwards.

"You've got about five minutes." he answered casually, tugging her back. "That's enough time."

"Time for what?!"

A thunderstorm darkened his voice. "To talk."

"A-About what?" A snake of dread coiled in her gut. He wasn't still angry, was he?"

_He was._

In an impossible movement Naruto flowed up and around her. Suddenly, she was face to face with the Godling. White eyes latched onto her, causing the girl to cringe. One hand rose, not in a blow as she feared, but to thumb her chin and turn her face back towards him.

"You do not," he began cooly, "Steal from me. You do not betray me. No one does. Not anymore. I don't care if you're a Goddess now. Do it again and I'll lop your pretty little head off. No questions asked. And you are not to tell anyone-and that means EVERYONE-about what transpired last night." his head cocked to the side, like a dog listening to a new sound. A stray spark sizzled between his teeth. "Are we clear?"

Ino gulped.

"Um...

Naruto stared at her for a long moment, a flicker of annoyance and relief flashing across his tan visage as he stared at the newly reborn Goddess. It was freeing, all things considered, to finally have someone to talk to about all this; to share in his secret with. Even if it had to be Ino. Then again, she wasn't Ino anymore, was she? She was someone else.

_Demeter._

Perhaps it was time to change his as well. All Naruto knew was pain and suffering and betrayal. But Zeus...the being he'd become, he knew none of that. He was absolutely furious with Athena for going behind his back to make Ino into the reincarnation of Demeter, but part of him admired the irony. He was better now, than who he'd been before. So too, was Ino.

"Naruto?" she asked, drawing him out of his reverie. "Are you al-

Then he began to laugh. It was a surprisingly hearty and dangerous sound she thought quietly to herself, reminiscent of an oncoming storm. "Nah," he said at last, shaking his head, the motion of which sent his silver-white tresses tossing to and fro. "I'm tired of that name. Call me._..Zeus."_

Another beat of silence paseed between them.

"I'm waiting, Ino."

Ino returned the smile with one that was bright, sunny, and she hoped at least seemed completely oblivious to the feelings of _doom_ that were leaking from the former blond like a cracked sieve. "O-Of course I wouldn't d-do that to you, Naruto-ah, Zeus. You know I would never betray you. I'm not suicidal."

"And?"

"And...I'm sorry." she admitted, flushing. "I shouldn't have taken the scroll."

"You could've died." he agreed.

"But I didnt?"

"Its a good thing you're cute, then."

The blonde sputtered. "W-W-What?!"

"Just kidding." he replied cheekily, levering himself off his post. His grip vanished a second later. There was no sign of the stormy disposition that had darkened his features only a few moments ago. No, she thought to herself, there was decidedly something _else_ in those milky-white orbs as they raked across her body, assessing. And Ino wasn't entirely sure she was averse to it. "You should probably get a new outift." he said at last, leaning away. "Kunoichi or not, you won't be able to walk around like that without drawing attention."

Ino blanched at the thought. Kami, how was she going to explain this to her parents? "Yeah...new clothes would be nice."

"Try willing them." Naruto suggested.

"Will?"

"It coms with being an Olympian." Naruto answered. "I only just dsicovered it last night. _See?"_ In a flash he was wearing a white toga, showing off his tanned forearms. Another blink and he was back in civilian clothes, as though he'd always been wearing them. "Just picture it in your mind. As long as you have some fabric to work with, you should be able to-

_Pop!_

She did; and just like that, there they were.

"Holy?!"

"Easy, right?" he said.

"No kidding!"

Ino blinked, remarked to find herself in a forest green tunic, not so assimilair to the outfit she'd one wore. Loose yet firm, it dipped to expose one slender shoulder, showing off her newly pale skin. She gawped, and all Naruto offered to that was a laugh. She completely at odds with his earlier outburst. Perhaps he was, that fury masked beneath a thin veneer of civility. Would he ever forgive her for going behind his back? Maybe. Did he _want_ to trust her? Probably.

But, as the saiying often went, first impressions were often the most lasting. And she'd made a horrible mess of it. It was truly rare for Yamanaka Ino to feel genuinely sorry, but she did. She well and truly did. Naruto had offered her friendship certainly more than Sasuke would've done -odd that she didn't attach the kun, there- then she'd gone behind his back and all but spat in his face. No wonder he was angry. Ino couldn't even bring herself to look him in the eye. Finally, she found her voice.

"We'd better get going." the words felt forced, tasted like ash in her mouth. "Don't wanna be late."

The look he gave her was pleasant, yet chilling at the same time.

"You go on ahead...

_...I'll catch up."_

* * *

Athena knew she was in trouble the moment Ino left the building. She could feel the tension in the air, writhing like a thing alive.

The Ghost of the Goddess been careful to stay well out of sight after last night's incident, sticking to the shadows, remaining unseen. It would've been well within her power to flee, but it simply had ocurred to her that she might be in very real danger aftert what she'd done. She hadn't throught she was wrong per se-she was acting on behalf of Olympus. Zeus had been moving too slowly; so she'd nudged him along. Of course there was a risk in doing such things. There always was. And the girl hadn't died. Now Naruto had a companion. Someone to stand at his side in the times to come. Another immortal returned to the world.

Everyone won.

But Naruto seemed to be immune to the influence the deity that he'd consumed-become-he was his own person despite all he'd been through. Maybe _she _was wrong. Perhaps the spark of the Gods and Goddesses did not so much influence their hosts as it did change them, opening their minds to things they hadn't seen-realized-during their mortal lifetimes. If that was the case, and it was likely, then she'd made a horrible mistake, a miscalculation that might end in disaster. Or worse, the loss of her life. The fate of their entire pantheon, in the hands of teenagers, no less!

She was genuinely beginning to fear for herself now, as Naruto stormed towards her hiding place, eyes blazing.

_"Athena."_

Just by calling her name, that insidious whisper, he flushed her from cover, leaving her staring into those eerie eyes. The Goddess blanched, suddenly realizing her peril. But now it was too late for her to flee. Gathering herself up she fought for a semblance of composure. She did not succeed. It was like staring into the black eyes of the Ghost of Sparta all those years ago, fearing that he was going to kill her with the Blade of Olympus once again. But this was worse. Though Naruto himself did not wield the blade, he held something far more fearsome. Anger.

"Ze-

"Do not," He grabbed her by the throat and slammed her into a table, reducing it to so much timber. "Call me that." Slam. "You have no right to speak." _Slam._ You are not _allowed_ to speak." _SLAM!_ "You will not speak; unless given permission to do so!"

Athena thought she couldn't bleed in this incoporeal form. In that, she was wrong, too. Her wounds bled a pale green from where shards and splinters of wood had embedded themselves into her arms, a light, viscuous fluid already beginning to pool at her feet and stam the hem of her dress. She forced herself up on arm, willed herself to look into the eyes of her attacker.

"I was only doing what was best for Olympus!" she cried.

"You did it for yourself."

His fist lashed out against, sending stars spangling before her vision. Another blow drove the breath from her lungs. A third bloodied her lip. The chains of her own blades wrapped around her neck like a noose, hauling her up off the floor, hurling her into_-then through-_another wall. If Naruto was at all troubled by the destruction he was wreaking on his own apartment, he didn't seem to care. Another tug whipped her up off the floors and slammed her into the ceiling, the points of both blades slamming into the point of either shoulder.

"You," he began slowly, "Do not. Manipulate me. You do not use me. The choices I make are my own, not yours. Mortals are not to be used like that!"

"You say that likes it's a bad thing," Athena said, looking out at the sky, staring up at the hole he'd blasted into the roof. "Let me tell you something important here, Naruto. Humans-mortals-are like ants. They are of a use to us, populate this world in great numbers, thriving regardless of the circumstances or conditions and are incredibly resilient. However, unlike ants, humans are greedy, selfish, backstabbing liars who would sooner kill you than help you, especially if they thought doing so would benefit them. What does it matter if I kill a few hundred, or even a few million of their kind? Why should I care? They'll grow back soon enough."

Naruto kicked her in the face, driving that notion from her skull. "They are not expendable!"

The silence was telling.

"Don't get in my way." he growled, tossing her back down against the ruined table.

Athena was left to ponder that as he ripped the blades from her wounds and stormed out of the room; leaving her to whimper piteously on the floor as her body fought to recover from the beating he'd inflicted.

* * *

In the darkest depths of the earth, something stirred.

It started slowly at first; a spasm here, a twitch there. Then, slowly, life, _conscsiosness_ returned. The entity had no given name, no true moniker by which to idenitfy itself. It had existenced since the dawn of time since the war broke out between the Primordials. There as no beginning for it-nor could it truly claim to have an end. Some called it death. Others, chaos. It simply was. Just as it simply loathed and hated the deities that had sealed it away into the deepness, chaining it their very lifeforce. One of them, Morpheus, cast it into a great sleep.

For the longest time it had slumbered, unaware that its jailers had passed away. It had met someone in that darkness, in its dream. One who commanded it. Now, like a fitful child, unable to understand what was going on, it searched for its captors and failed to find them. There was the prescence of one, weak and faint, but they were like a pale candle, flickering in the wind. The other two it sensed were far stronger, but pitifully weak when compared to the wardens that had first sealed it. It took a few moment to proccess this. To understand.

Then, with a slow, sloth-like realization, the Chaos knew that its time had come. Inky tendrils spread out, seeking tools. Weapons. Servants. It found them easily, breathed life back into their bones, stirring them up out their eternal slumber just as it had woken only moments ago.

The Gods were returning to the world. So too, would it. It would gather pawns for the master it served, ferret them out...

...and it would destroy them all.

* * *

Naruto encountered them in the street soon thereafter his rampage.

He'd taken a side street as a shortcut to the training grounds-painfully aware that he was now running almost an hour late-but in the same vein, he couldn't bring himself to break into a full on sprint-run. His mind was far too preoccupied by the violence he'd just infliced, upon Ino_-Demeter!-_and Athena as well. This wasn't him. He usually wasn't this angry. This...violent. Dangerous, even. But the thought of being used filled him with so much anger, such wrath as he'd never known, that he had difficulty reigning it in.

He was certain he was still himself -that much was true- but with this new, eldritch power coursing through his veins, coupled with the strings of attacks and betrayals on his personage...it was a lot to tak in. Somehow, his mind refused to wrap itself around the idea that he wasn't mortal anymore. Suffice to say he was reeling. Now, thanks to a moment of incompetence, he'd passed that burden, onto another. He would keep the scroll with him at all times now he resolved. Even now he could feel it warming his hand. Did it have a mind of its own, he wondered? Did it want to be free of its contents?

Just the thought of it was enough to make him hasten his stride.

That was when it happened.

He was just beginning to break into a ground when a pool of darkness opened before him. Instinct kicked in, his body skidding to a halt in _midair _before he could fling himself into the dark cesspool before him. He stood there for a long moment, balking slightly. Flight. Huh. That was a new one. With a thought he drifted back down to the ground, curious to see what might emerge from the shadows. He didn't have long to wait.

As he looked on three creatures-for these were no mortal men-clamored out of the pit, nearly tripping over one another in their haste to get at him. Naruto nearly shrank bacn in revuison.

Their eyes burned with a cold green fire. Decomposing flesh hung in rags from their bones. Undead. Little more than ghosts, where his fears were concerned. G-G-Ghosts! _Enough! I do not fear these things!_ Strangling his fears he stepped forward, hands crackling with the raw, untamed energied of the heavens.

The Blades of Athena tingled and warmed at his back through his shirt, their golden facets gleaming in the murky light of the not-yet-risen sun. He considered drawing them, but decided against it. Instead he turned an dropped into a fighting stance, hands wide to grapple and grip. The stench gained putrid strength as the abominations hustled further into view. One of them, a spindly creature, wearing what looked like the remains of a beaten jacketed and _hitiate_, clacked its jaws and pointed at him. Naruto returned the gesture with an obscene one finger salute.

"Good," he muttered. "I needed to work off some stress."

Without a sound they rushed at him.

Undead though they might be, they moved with uncanny speed. One thrust a spear at his head, thinking to force him to dodge, as another swung a length of chain at his legs. He snatched the spear shaft from the first as though a parent might a stick from an unruly child, driving it down to tangle the whipping chains-then Zeus released the spear and drove his hand into the slimy guts of the nearest legonnaire, his fingers ripping into then through the decayed flesh to seize its hipbone from inside. The God squeezed with inhuman force; the dead shinobi's hip joint shattered, and the creature fell. Zeus moved on without looking back.

When the legionnare/shinobi with the chain swung again at him, Naruto let it whip around his arms. He wasn't worried; he had chains of his own.

As the undead leaped for him, Naruto slipped a loop of the blade chain around its neck. A twitch of his muscled arms tore the corpse's head from its shoulders. The third he dispatched with a simple blow of a fist, simply and quickly crushing its skull. Casting it aside, he looked for more to undead to destroy, but saw nothing save the corpses he'd already crushed to pieces. The God in him knew better than to believe his attackers would vanishe-give up-after their first failed attempt. _I wonder what that was about? Where did they come from- _

Another portal into oblivion was his answer. This time, _six _undead climbed out the undwerworld to face him, each armed to the teeth. More undead shinobi sprinted towards him; corpses long since buried bearing kunai, swords and other weapons with singular intent. To kill him. Interestingly enough some bore armor whilst the other wore little more than the rags they'd worn in life. Something had changed these corpses. Altered them somehow. But how? Why? And to what purpose? Scowling, he pushed that thought to the back of his mind and readied himself for the onslaught.

They advanced on him from the streets in pairs, their blank eyes reflecting nothing beyond a mindless hunger to the casual observer. But the godling knew firsthand those blank looks masked quick and sharp wits; their numbers could well overwhelm if he became arrogant. As if to echo that very thought, something else rose behind them. The sheer absurdity of this creature, was enough to draw an incredulous blink from the boy. Half man and half monster, the bipedal bast lowered its head and snorted at him, pawing the ground with a hoofed foot. Unbidden, a memory conjured itself up in his mind.

_Minotaur._

Naruto roared and drew the blades from his back.

"Come on, then!" He shouted, slapping the chainswords together contemptuously. "Come and die!"

The first legionnare to meet him found itself embedded upon the rightmost blade, its blue-gold surface slamming it to the wall with an audible crunch. The second made the mistake of trying to strike at his un-protected back; a savage mule kick dispossesed it off its head a moment later. Another legionnare came rushing forward, shield bared to defend against such a tactic. Naruto scoffed and blew the undead apart-shield and alll-with a single thunderbolt. And then there was no more time for thought.

Those three that remained pounced, spears and swords stabbing. He swatted them back with a hand, spinning the chains like windmill around him. More rose from the earth with each he slew, pulling themselves out of blacky, shadowy pits, only to return to the dark once more.

Naruto gloried in it.

Whirling, twisting, diving, thrusting, he danced a dance of death amongst them, uncaring of the attention he attracted to himself. He lost himself in the carnage. It was freeing. Once, the very idea of killing would have been abhorent to him. Made him ill. But now? He didn't care. These creatures wanted to kill him, so they would die like all the rest. And they did.

Then the Minotaur, having hung back until this very instant, brayed and came charging forward. Naruto spun and took the bull by the horns. Literally. It slammed into him like a freight train even as his hands closed around the deadly spears of its head, nearly driving him into a vacant building. They struggled for a moment, man and beast. Then the former got the upper hand. Drawing upon the vast resvoir of his godly powers, Naruto released a horn and thrust a blade deep intot he Minotaur's snout. The creature screamed and lost traction. Now it was Naruto who pounced.

Wrestling it to the ground was like handling an tempermental child; annoying, but hardly troublesome. Once pinned, he grasped it by the horns once more and, he gave a mighty yank. Snap. Its neck broke like a water-logged twig, head turning awkwardly in his hands. Its body went lifeless, slumping to the ground with nary a sound. None came after that.

As strangely and swiftly as the slaughter had begun, so too did it end. No more than five minutes had passed.

Naruto stood amidst a sea of bloody bodies, his white hair stained red. A thought rid himself of the crimson fluids, the blood crackling off his still smoldering silhouette.

Rolling his shoulders, he started back from the way that he'd come. A commotion like that was bound to attract attention. The last thing he wanted to do was answer some unwanted questions. Galloping away from the grisly scene, he sprinted down a nearby alley, hastening toward the square and-hopefully this time-the training grounds he'd been working so hard to reach.

Then, quite literally, he ran into the Hyuuga. In rounding a corner, he'd forgotten to look up.

_Thud!_

The impact didn't so much stun as it did surprise the reborn godling - the poor girl bounced right off of him as though he were a brick wall, tumbling backwards with a cry of surprise. Without thinking his arms shot out, steadying her. She squeaked in surprise as her head tucked into his chest. Then she jerked back as if she'd been _burned._

"Hey...you alright?"

"N-N-N-Naruto-kun?!"

As expected, she turned beet red at the moment she realized it was him not some passserby, dissolving into a nervous, stammering wreck as his eyes met hers. Before, he would've dismissed her out of hand. But he'd realized something yesterday in that classroom; something that, after a littany of lies and betrayal, had shocked him. Rocked him to his core. Hinata...

...liked him.

Even though he already knew, he was still cursing himself for being so blind. How could he not have seen this? Sure, she was ridiculously shy...but still! The idea that someone actually cared for him, in a romantic way-fashion no less-was a novel experiences. Something to be considered.

In hindsight it was painfully obvious; until only a few days ago he'd been young and naive. Now he had all the essence-and wisdom-of a God shoved into his soul, the very core of his being. He saw through eyes totally unfettered by the blindness of youth and stupdity. It galled him to admit he'd ever been so foolish, but there it was. That very naivete would've almost gotten him killed by Mizuki, had he not discovered Zeus's scroll on that fateful night. Speaking of which, it was beginning to feel awfully warm in his hand...

"What're you doing here?" he asked.

The Hyuuga heiress flushed anew and tented her fingers.

"Kurenai-sensei wanted us to meet her in the training grounds at nine...

"So you're leaving early?" his lips pursed in confusion. "This early?"

She managed a fitful nod. Was it an excuse to see him? He wondered about that. His own feelings on Hinata were decidedly murky; he wasn't even sure if _he_ felt the way she felt for him. After all, he'd only discovered her affections recently. Would it be so wrong to test them_-ow!_ The scroll was searing his palm now, physically demanding his attention. Trying to drag his arm forward. Naruto stubbornly planted his feet and fought off its insidious pull. No. Not again! He refused to allow this to happen without his will.

"Naruto-kun? What's that in your hand?"

"Its nothing." he stubbornly tucked the parchment behind his back. "So...I've got a question for you. I think you know what it is." A touch of his old self trickled through, innate curiosity winning out over common sense and practicality. He had to know. Needed to know. The reason why eluded him and for every second he tarried her was another one he was late, but he knew at once he wouldn't be satisfied until he received an answer from the blushing maiden before him. Stepping forward he idly noticed, her face was a bright, cherry red. Yet she didn't retreat. Curious. Perhaps he craved the attention-perhaps he needed to know whether or not this was all some sort of terrible trick. She was the only person who hadn't openly questioned his new appearance.

Maybe that gave her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe not. Either way, it did nothing to change his question.

_"Do you like me?"_

"I...ah...um...that..." Her cheeks turned pink. She swooned. He knew what was coming next.

"No, no, no, no! Don't faint!" His hand shot out, steadying her before she could fall. He wanted an answer! A tiny charge passed through his hand unintentionally. She jolted in his arms, spasming back to concsiousness with a small cry. Naruto cringed. He'd no intention of hurting her. And yet he had.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

She didn't answer. Naruto grimaced.

It wasn't her fault that she was painfully shy he realized with a pang of surprise; it was _his._ He'd all but ignored her from the moment they'd met; ever since delivering her from those bullies when they were little more than children. He couldn't recall giving her any real sort of attention since that fateful day. It must've been emotionally crippling to have the object of your affections to ignore you like that-pine for someone else whilst you looked on-and not have the courage to do anything abou tit. She just needed confidence. Confidence he could provide. The scroll seemed to pulse in agreement. Was he really considering that?

"Ano..." Poor Hinata, she seemed on the verge of having a heart attack as she stuttered out the words, "Do...do you...l-like...

She couldn't finish the sentence.

"I'm not sure." he admitted, pushing a hand through his shoulder tresses. "But I'm willing to try. That's the best I can promise."

Her head dipped in a short, jerky bob of a nod, dissapointed, yet also relieved.

Naruto's head dipped as well, delivering a soft peck to her cheek as she raised her gaze, his lips lingering at the corner of her mouth.

Hinata squeaked. _Adorable._

That was the best answer he could hope to give. Pain, anger, loss. Those he knew. But love? Even before he'd become..._this,_ he'd never really known the emotion. Friendships, perhaps, but love? To actually like a being-a person-in that emotional sense that defied both time and boundaries? He wanted to think that the fondness he felt for Hinata might be the beginnings of such a sentiment but truthfully? He had no way of knowing. It was impossible to discern. But a part of him wanted to feel it. Something beyond the anger and bitterness that seemed to haunt his every step since becoming Zeus. Despite all that Athena had told him and his own old commitement, he wanted some of that innocence back. He wanted peace.

But, as those creatures had just shown him, that peace was something he'd probably have.

Anyone associated with him was likely in danger even now-Athena's words came back to him once more-and Hinata was likely at the top of that list. Iruka, he believed, could at least protect himself. So could Teuchi-he was a ninja once, after all-keep himself and Ayame safe. If Ino had even a _touch_ of reflexes after becoming Demeter then she'd be safe as well. Kiba was far too cagey to fall to some undead swarm. But Hinata...well, it just didn't seem fair, putting her in danger like this all because of him. What good was taijutsu against the creatures he'd faced? Even if she did have the confidence-which he doubted she did-she simply didn't have the strength.

Yet, there was one way she could have both.

Naruto sighed and slowly, painstakingly, brought the scroll out from behind his back. _Fuck._ Fuck fuck fuck. Why was he doing this? It might not even work! He might be condemning her to death. Still, something caused him to hold it out, and unfurl the smoldering piece of parchment to the Hyuuga.

"Here." he held it out to her. "Can you read this?"

"Yes," she blinked after a moment, frowning in genuine concern, meekness momentarily forgotten. "What is this?"

Naruto didn't answer. He simply shoved it into her hand. All at once, the burning ceased. It turned ice cold in his grasp. Then scroll pulsed an eerie white. Naruto immediately relinquished his hold and stepped backward-knowing full well what was about to happen. There was no need for blood this time, no sooner had Hinata's scraped palm closed around it, than all hell broke loose.

There was no thunderstorm of power this time, not even the swirling seasons that had engulfed Ino last night. It was something...different.

_THUUUUM!_

A surge of interrupting thunder shook the ground between them. The very air seemed to boil-erupting-around Hinata. Her eyes had vanished, the pupils now pulsating an eerie azure color that defied descriptions. As the energy rushed out, the air around her was suddenly warm and thick, as though countless emotions were assailing. At their feet, the increased intensity of an odd aura crushed rocks into fragments of nothingness and ash. Her head suddenly jerked uncontrollably upward and then flopped back down, all the time her blazing blue eyes fixed on him. A tiny, raspy cry fled from her lips.

"W-What...what did you do...?"

"Shh," he cooed quietly, picking her up in his arms; his mind would only later register the intimacy of such an act. "Don't fight it. Its easier that way." Hinata gasped again, and her eyes pulsed blue once more. She was light as a feather even as the change took her. Naruto sighed quietly and walked back into the alley from whence he'd come. She curled into a pained ball in his arms, utterly unaware that he was even holding her at all or even coddled. The sound of her tears engraved itself into his brain, and would haunt him for the next week.

Naruto averted his eyes from the shining, sobbing girl in his arms, and quietly prayed to whatever deity existed above him that she would survive.

* * *

_(?)_

The bedchamber was the very definition of sensuality.

Everywhere Hinata looked, sprawling sheets and tapestries graced her eyes. Dark fabrics and shimmering curtains, framed in the dim candleight, beckoned invitingly. Unwittingly, Hinata found herself drawn into this odd world of frivolous colors, her sandalled feet tredding soundlessly against the carpet. The bed at the center of the room seemed to dominate her vision, its satin covers both repulsing and demanding her attention all at once. This was a place for a man and a woman to consumate their love in bliss, not a young girl tentatively stepping into her teens. Just the thought was enough to make her shiver.

She saw a figure sprawled at the edge of the bed, hidden by the shroud of the bed. They beckoned. She came closer.

"Naruto-kun...?"

"I'm afraid not, child." came the soft, sensual reply, as gentle and inviting as a lover's caress. "But, what do we have here? You sound...lost. Just as well, I suppose. I haven't had a visitor in...ages. Please, have a seat; I'll be with you shortly." Not Naruto. Hinata blinked, alarmed to find her crush was _not_ the one who had spoken to her just now. Indeed, Naruto was nowhere to be found.

"I...I didn't mean to...

Hinata turned, and a new figure emerged from within her peripheals of the veil, warming the empty room of her soul with her beauty. Indeed, all of their surroundings took on a softer, more sultry glow. Hinata felt her jaw clench in shock and confusion.

_Definitley not Naruto!_

She'd seen few women in her life beyond that of her sensei and aunts, but, even if she had seen _many_ this woman would've put them to shame and flung them into the muck with but a glance. Her splendor was of such full-bodied perfection that this sight hit her harder than anyone ever had, even Naruto. She wasn't like _that, _but it was almost impossible not to gawp, to flush, at the sight of such flawless beauty. She had to physicallly will herself not to faint, to clear her throat twice before she could speak.

"Um...who are you?"

A hand flicked dismissively within the veil.

"I believe you already know the answer to that, girl. The question you shoud be asking yourself is; what are you to _me?"_

Amazingly, she did.

She knew at once who she was-impossibly-and fought not to glance at the diaphanous house silks that clung invitingly to her body. The woman rose from the bed, the motion sending her breasts swaying. Impossibly, it riveted her. Suddenly it was no longer within her power to move. One look into those bewitching blue eyes, and the Hyuuga was done. She found herself held captive by the auburn-haired woman. Utterly unable to look away in spite of her very best efforts. What sorcery was this? A genjutsu?

Motionless, she stood there, frozen as the woman descended the bed, and moved to circle her.

"What're you-

One slender finger from that slim hand traced the curve of her lips to silence any comment. Her laughter was like the chime of silver bells. "What you _need_, is to be grateful, mortal. 'Tis not often that I take such a keen interest in the affairs of one such as yourself." She caressed her cheek gently, those bright blue eyes piercing. Rooting the Hyuuga where she stood. "Ah, There is so much love here. Your feelings for him burn like a fire-bright and hot, yet so very weak. Look at you." her hand moving, turning her cheek. "Pale skin. Dark hair. And those eyes!"

Hinata cringed. "W-What's wrong with my eyes?"

"Nothing, darling!" she stated offhandedly, poking her in her still-budding hips. "They're marvelous. But you baffle me. Your beauty captivates the mind and the body. It inflames the heart, yet you waste it beneath this, this infernal _covering."_ The fingers turned cold as they stroked lower, ghosting across the thick fabric of her jacket, yet thankfullly not probing any deeper. "Oh, my dear child. You should flaunt what you have; be proud of the gifts you've been blessed with. Why do you hide them?"

Hinata colored deeply, hiding her face instinctively. "I don't know...

"I think you do." the woman circled her, hips undulating with each step. With a sigh, she draped herself across the bed; the very act bespoke of raw sexuality. "Its Aphrodite, by the way. Goddess of Love. You would do well to remember that. Surprised?" she raised her head a fraction of an inch, smiling. "I knew you from the moment we touched. You're painfully shy, although that may be due to the way you've been brought up. Kind, too; you do not like to hurt, which stands against the politics of your little family and clan. You secretly despise the way your cousin, Neji, treats you. That is why you wish to reform the Main and Branch families; making them into one whole."

Now she raised herself off the bed/dias even further, a sly, sisterly smile crossing her lovely face.

"And, above all, you love Uzumaki Naruto, now born again as Zeus, with all of your heart. You admire him-respect him-your nindo is the same as his. Until recently, you were afraid he'd never return your feelings. Now that he as, oh, the things you want to do with him...you make m proud." Throughout the speech Hinata had gone from pink to red. Now she was positively scarlet. Her hands peeled away from her cheeks, revealing her steaming face.

"I...I...I can't believe you know all that!"

"None of that stuttering." Aphrodite scolded, flashing off the bed. In an instant, she was before her. "Chin up!"

"H-Hai."

"Ah!" the Goddess swatted her on the arm. "What did I say about the stutter?"

Hinata swallowed, biting back on the instinctive urge to cower.

"Hai."

"Better." she purred. "There might be hope for you yet." she waved a hand suddenly-haughtily-and Hinata found herself free to move once more. "Living on within you is _certainly_ prefferable to not existing at all. And besides," Those bright, eerie eyes danced with mischief, "You've already got yourself a suitor. We'll have to make some changes to your atttitude if you hope to keep him. Zeus was -and probably stilll is- infamous for having many lovers. If you want to be able to satisfy him, you'll need a little...more."

"S-S-S-Satisfy him!? But I don't even-

"Confidence, for starters." Aphrodite continued. "Couldn't hurt to give that body of yours a boost, either. Ah, well. I suppose it won't matter in the long run." She frowned down at a hand and Hinata soon saw why; the limb was turning to dust even as she looked on. "Oops. Looks like my time's about up." The disintegration had nearly reached her shoulders now, her very body blowing away on some unseen wind. "_Take care, girl. Don't make the mistakes we did."_ Laughing, the Goddess blew her a kiss and vanished, the dust that composed her being flowing forward onto the stiff Hyuuga.

Aphrodite/Hinata opened her eyes and smiled.

* * *

Naruto knew at once that Hinata was going to survive when she stopped thrashing in his arms like a bucking bronco. Her sobs quieted, fading down to a small sigh. The bright lights that had assailed his retinas finally-mercifully-ceased, leaving him to squint down at the girl in his arms. Blue eyes, not quite lavender and not quite sapphire, stared back at him. She must've activated her Byakugan at some point due to the straing; as he looked on the veins throbbing on either side of her eye slowly vanished to the winds.

"Naruto-kun?" She squirmed restlessly in his arms.

Her voice was different. It wasn't timid anymore; there was a husky, breathless quality to it that knocked the air right out of him. As though Hercules had just waltzed up and sucker punched him in the gut. With a slow and shuddering breath, he willed himself to release her and respond.

"Erm...how do you feel?"

...good question." She dropped out of his arms effortlessly, bouncing once, on the balls of her feet. _Bouncing. _Naruto arched an eyebrow. Hinata didn't bounce. The jacket came free moments later with a single motion of her hand. Naruto stiffened.

Hinata coughed quietly.

"Better." she said, rolling her shoulders. "Much better."

Much like Ino, Hinata had suffered through some changes from taking a Goddess into her being. What alarmed him was how _enticing _they were. Eyes burned brightly, her skin was still pale and she stood perhaps a few inches taller than before. But beyond that, it was hard to see what'd been truly altered. With that hideous creme jacket removed, Zeus was granted a good, long look at the black tee beneath. It was a good deal higher than it ought to have been, permitting a precious but brief glimpse of her midriff, and the flaring hips beneath...among other things above and below.

"So," she smiled slyly, "You like what you see, Naruto-kun?" Well, she certainly wasn't lacking for confidence now, was she?

Naruto sputtered softly.

There was also the matter of her hair. It was longer now. Very. Those dark navy tresses-once no longer than her chin-now spilled down her back in a tide of ebony curtain, rippling with each motion she made. Of course there were jutsu that produced similair effects, but to see it firsthand was another matter entirely. There were only a few Goddesses who acted like that; and he knew of only one with bright, blazing blue eyes. The floor seemed to drop out from beneath his feet as his mind vomitted the name.

"Aphrodite?"

"In the flesh," Hinata cooed, slinking closer. "Speaking of which," her breath warmed his face temptingly, those pale blue eyes holding him like a noose. "I believe you owe me reparations for all the embarassment you put me through earlier, hmm?" Major confidence boost indeed! "Now, hold still." Her hand rose, cupping at his cheek, the gesture masking the softest of flushes on her own visage. Breath came in short gasps between the two of them as her lips landed on his neck, trailing upward in a searing line of kisses. "You have no _idea _how long I've waited for this; now you're mine."

_'Strangely, I don't have a problem with tha-_

Then she kissed him.

Naruto was completely taken aback by the ferocity of her kiss, the unparalleled _passion_ behind it. Her tongue tangled with his in a sensous, ageless dance, mouth molding against his as though it'd been meant for him and him alone. All the firm, feminine softness of her body pressed him back against the brick alleyway in less than an instant, stripping him of resistance. It was still Hinata-and yet not her. She was Hinata. Just as she was Aphrodite. Just as he was Zeus.

And he stood no chance at all against the Goddess of Love.

"Oh yes," she murmurred, lisping only the faintest of stutters, "I...I think I'm going to like this." It served as a subtle reminder that this really _was_ Hinata, appearances and newfound confidence aside. It also pushed him over the limit.

"C'mere," he growled.

His hands hooked beneath her legs, hoisting her up off her feet. Now it was _she_ who was pressed into the wall. Her thighs locked around his waist as he pushed closer into her, tiny cries of ecstasy leaping from her lips as he began to grind against her, fracturing the brick at her back with the force of his motions. There was no thought; no sense to their actions. Just lust. Their clothes-sadly-remained in place, but Naruto couldn't have cared less. Here, in this moment, as his mouth met hers again and again _and again, _there were no words. Had he known that kissing would've felt like this...well, it was a novel experience to say the least.

His hands dipped beneath her slacks, grabbing. Groping. Hinata cried out, the sound muffled between their mouths,

Almost too soon, sooner than he would've liked, it was over.

Hinata disentangled herself from him as though she'd done this a thousand times, effortlessly sliding out of his grasp like a slippery eel even as he grabbed at her.

"Sorry, Naruto-kun." her words were like warm honey to his ears. "But I really _do_ have to go."

"Stay." his hand closed around her shoulder.

Hinata slipped free with insufferable ease.

"No," she said with a laugh, "I think its time I left _you _hot and bothered for once."

"I-

"Ja ne," she purred, pecking him on the cheek. And just like that, she walked away.

For a moment -a flicker- Naruto wavered. He genuinely thought about following her. It would be so easy to lose himself in the pleasures of the flesh, to simply lose himself in the brighter half of his being. But the hatred for what he'd done expunged that emotion before it could get the better of him. Only a few moments ago he'd been willing to risk Hinata's life out of sheer selfishness. No. Not yet. Insteads, he watched her go, his eyes straying towards those swaying hips, wondering if he'd made the right decision.

"Women." he muttered forlornly to himself. "I understand nothing."

* * *

_Hinata wanted to squeal._

It had taken every fiber of her being not to break down into a stuttering wreck back there. Even now she had to physically fight the urge to look over her shoulder, knowing that to do so meant she'd run right back into Naruto's arms. Into. His. Arms! She shivered with a spasm of delight, comitting every passionate scene to memory. She'd given into something she'd never known she'd had. Confidence. There was a spring in her step that'd never been there before, the beginnings of a will she'd never dared to consider. Better yet, she had him.

She'd kissed him!

He'd taken all her feelings and returned them tenfold; just thinking about it was enough to make her warm. She was still weak, but she was learning. New power and strength thrummed through her body. She felt as if she were invincible. Untouchable. Perhaps, had she known these newfound powers came at a cost-she might have been a bit more nervous-had she known that something-someone-was trying their utmost to eliminate all Gods and Goddesses, she might have been a touch unnerved. Thankfully she knew nothing of the sort.

In the end, she managed to make it to her training grounds after all.

Then, and only _then_, did she allow herself to faint.

* * *

_(Finally, in the Training grounds...)_

"Dude, you're two hours late!"

_Shit._

Naruto risked a glance up as Kiba's voice resounded in his ears. The Inuzuka was tromping towards him, Akamaru in tow. No sign of Kakashi yet. That drew a frown from the whitehead. Just how late was he going to be anyway? Raising his gaze, he realized that his childhood friend was actually scowling. Not at all like him. He didn't know how long he'd been gone-only that the sun was starting to rise and; and there was stilll no sign of their new sensei anywhere to be found.

"Sorry, about that." he feigned a smile. "Did sensei show up yet?"

"No," Kiba glowered, refusing to be swayed; his expression spoke volumes. "You know anything about this?"

"About what?"

"That." He jerked a finger over his shoulder, and Naruto followed his gaze, finding Demeter standing there.

Instead of complaining about the heat, Ino was doing something most startling. She was smiling. Ordinarily, that wouldn't have distressed him. But now? Now it left him ill at ease. Because behind the Yamanaka, clear was day, something did not belong. In place of one of the three stumps in the back of the training field, there was now a tree. An actual, genuine, thirty foot tall, tree. By the gods, she'd taken an olden log, and turned it into...that!

Naruto's jaw clicked open.

"Oh."

_"I think that's an understaement!"_

The whitehead colored slightly. Kiba was his best friend. He'd palled around with the Inuzuka since he'd first enrolled in academy. Lying to him...just didn't feel right somehow. But it was a necessity regardless. Thinking quickly, he made up the best excuse he could think off the top of his head. It was utterly abyssmal.

"Erm...she's a really good gardener?"

"Dude!" He sniffed suddenly, frowning. "Wait a sec...why do you smell like blood?"

"Ah...I cut my hand this morning?"

"Where's the bandage?"

Naruto frowned. "Anyone ever tell ya you're too damn curious?"

Kiba grinned cheerily. "All the time."

Akamaru squeaked in agreement.

"I should go!"

Ignoring his friend, Naruto hurried forward and took Ino aside. She didn't resist. Perhaps she knew she was in trouble; maybe she simply feared pissing him off again. Who knew? Regardless, she proved most compliant as he led her a few paces away and all but snarled in her ear:

"What the hell?!"

"Sorry!" she hissed back. "It just happened! I touched the damn thing and it sprouted! What am I supposed to do?!" In hindsight, it made sense. Demeter, as a Goddess, was responsible for the seasons. It made sense that she held sway over the forest and commanded all things nature. He just hadn't expected...this. Some might confused it with the Mokuton; and that would raise all kinds of hell. She was looking at him for some sort of guidance now, expecting answers. He didn't have them.

"I don't know," he admitted, pinching the brow of his nose. "My...abilities tend to be influenced by mood. Probably the same for you. Just try to keep yourself in check, I guess."

"Gee, thanks sherlock." her deadpann was barely concealed.

"I'm serious here, Ino." he swatted her gently on the back of the head. "You can't just go around making trees out of stumps! Its _supposed_ to be a secret."

Thankfully, he didn't have to answer that question.

"Well, well, well. Looks like we're all here."

A plume of smoke signalled the arrivla of Kakashi Hatake; Naruto didn't have the strength to call him out on being late. Again. In the end, he didn't have to. Dipping a hand into his pocket, the Jonin retrieved two small items. His three students would regard those objects with eternal ire from that day forward.

"Since you three see so antsy, I'll be blunt; the objective here is to get these two bells from me. Whomever fails goes back to the academy. You have until noon-

...so basically, you want us to work together to get them." Naruto said, interrupting his monologue.

Kakashi flinched in consternation. _Damn, he's good. _Refusing to allow that emotion to show, he snatched the bells up in a fist and tied them to his belt. "And thanks to Naruto's smart remark, you now have less than an hour."

"HEY?!"

"Begin!"

* * *

_Ting!_

Naruto twisted casually aside, diverting a kunai with a flick of his wrist. The blade bounced off the Blades of Athena with a mighty clang, sending the projectile shooting into the underbrush. Slowly, almost casually, he turned his gaze on Kakashi. The jonin frowned slightly. Another swing of the blades sent them spiralling outward, forcing the jonin on his back foot. When he'd told them to try and get the bells, he'd half-expected the kids to rush him. Instead, Naruto had chosen to face him. Alone.

For the last five minutes he'd done nothing but defend, rarely choosing to go on the offense, always keeping him at arms length with both his bolts and blades. Kiba was nowhere to be seen and neither was Ino, which might've been just a little distressing if he'd considered them a threat. As it were, he merely thought of them as a nuiscance. Just like the whitehead before him.

"You do realize that you'll never get a bell from me if you keep swinging those swords around." he said.

"Don't need to." the God answered, calling the swords back to him. "I've kept you busy long enough to read your moves."

"Have you now?"

Naruto's only response was a smile. Then he dropped flat to the ground.

"Gatsuga!"

In the same instant that Kiba and Akamaru leapt from the trees, so did Kakashi on the ground. Both man and mutt came spiraling forward as one-crashing into the earth just as he jumped backwards. Foolish. They had to know that a frontal attack would never work, and the moment his feet touched the ground he'd be able to retreat again-

That was when he heard it. While he was still in the air. Unable to move.

"Mind Transfer jutsu!"

_Crap._

* * *

Boring boring _BORING!_

I can't take this anymore! While my father is away conducting strategy with the others, I am temporarily-Cronus prerserve me-hijacking this missive!

My name is Retsu, daughter of Zeus and Hera-whom you'll probably see soon enough-and though I technically don't exist yet in this tale, I find myself...bored.

We're not here for boring tales of meniality, so I won't bore you with the tales of that first month, or the tedious missions that must've followed. This, is a story of how my father came to be come the entity he is now; not a story of menial labor or lesser tasks. That is not why he scribed this story; its meant to be a record of fantastical tales and romance, of love and suffering, and drama! He probably won't be very happy once he's realized I've...acceleratd the story a bit. I've always been called impatient by my brothers and sisters, but hey, whaddya gonna do? My twin, Iris, takes after me, too.

Perhaps now, more than ever, I have little tolerance for the mundane, day to day nature of things. I find the story of how we came to be fascinating, but I wish certain parts could be ommitted. My father-he passed the test with my aunt, became a part of team seven. Open and shut. So lets skip ahead a bit, neh? Alright, cross this out here, add this, scribble there-aha! There we go! Onward! You won't miss a few paragraphs now, will you? Away we go!

...still my foul mood persisted. Having Ino as a Goddess did little to improve it at the time-though my time with Aphrodite proved a balm to the restlessness I felt. Athena was still there, watching us-a silence prescence who knew better than to act without my explicit order. I sensed that Kiba was jealous of what was happening, but he was still my friend.

Then came the mission that changed everything. Our lives forever.

Lets get down to that, shall we?

* * *

Tazuna offered an owlish blink as he was shown the four who would be responsible for ensuring his safety.

They'd only had enough money to pay for a C-Ranked mission, but still, he expected decent shinobi! Not some punk kid with white hair, a girl with curls, a boy and his dog, and to top it all of, a Jonin who looked like he was half asleep! Surely Konoha had better shinobi than this! In short, he really had only one thought.

_'I am SO fucked.'_

Part of him wanted to just walk out of the office and try his luck; risk it with some bodyguards. Anything was better than dealing with these fresh kids and their half-assed sensei. Quietly, he cursed Gato for what felt to him like the umpteenth time-if not for him, he wouldn't have to risk his life like this at all. But no, he'd come this far. His people-his family-were counting on him. He could not, would not, fail, just because he felt a little squeamish with his escort.

Nothing ventured nothing gained.

"Its a pleasure to meet you, Tazuna-san. My name is Uzumaki Naruto. Don't worry, you have my word that we'll keep you safe. And I never go back on my word." The boy extended his hand in offering and, to Tazuna's surprise, Tazuna found himself taking and shaking it. Odd. The kid couldn't be more than thirteen-fourteen at the best-yet he looked like he was older, somehow. And his grip! It felt like he might break his hand at any moment! Blessedly the boy let go, allowing the girl to introduce herself as well. There was something about those two...something he couldn't quite put his finger on. The Inuzuka seemed normal enough, as did their teacher.

He glanced down at his arm, marveling as the bruise began to form. A tiny blue spark shot down his arm, leaving the limb numb.

_Just what the hell was this kid?_

* * *

The Chaos had found new pawns.

Gōzu and Meizu.

Two brothers, each misssing nin, savage and easy to mold. Sent to assassinate the bridge-builder once he left the village. Gōzu wears the gauntlet on his right hand while Meizu wears his on his left. Poisoned claws on each. It takes them. These two men. Enhances them. Makes them stronger. It was still weakned from calling upon so many minions months ago, infecting those that yet draw breath drains it signifcantly. But the effort was worth it. Their minds were weak, their wills easily swayed. Perfect.

Tendrils of darkness touched the twin brothers where they hid in the puddle, infecting them, empowering them. Not quite men and not quite Gods, but something in between. One to the other. Before, a single touch of those claws would've poisoned their target. Now? The slightest brush promised almost certain death to mortals. And pain-perhaps even death-to a God.

It bid them to wait, there in their little jutsu, unseen to any passerby. And so they hid, waiting for hours on end. The Bridgebuilder was secondary. Attack the Gods first. The Chaos saw through their eyes, tamping their instincts down, until that last precious second when it sensed movement.

Footsteps sounded in its/their ears.

There.

It watched as the boy in white moved past, then the girl, followed by the rest. He seemed to talking animatedly about something, seemingly oblivious to the traps laid for him. The Chaos knew better. It saw how those hands twitched restlessly at his side, ready and willing for action. It seethed. He knew. Somehow, someway, he sensed him and he _knew._ No matter. His attention, was irrelevant. It would still triumph. It would not fail a second time. The Chaos made them wait until the squad and their client was well past. Then it let go.

_All hell broke loose._

Gozu swarmed up out of the puddle, launching his twin brother forward before he'd full cleared the waters. Meizu shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, rocketing towards the entity known as Zeus. The youth'd yet to react. Perhaps he truly was unaware.

The Inuzuka must've smelled them somehow; because he and his canine reacted first. And he went down first. Meizu impaled him on a gauntlet when he tried to intercede and tossed him asides, never slowing. Naruto proved an even easier mark; unmoving as the deadly chain whistled past him on either side. Wrapping around him in a vice, biting deeply into his flesh, and pinning both arms to his sides. He didn't cry out. The Chaos frowned, its black eyes harsh with anger and confusion. Why did he not wail? Surely he was in pain-

"Oh? You have chains. Funny." he grinned grimly. "So do I." a growl darkened his features. _"This is for Kiba!"_

Then he lit up like a solar flare.

The Chaos wailed as an unoly current coursed down the chain, electrocuting both brothers. Their muscles clamped down, but the Chaos writhed in agony; the pure light driving it from their minds and banishing it back to the abyss once more. Light! It loathed the light! How had he known?! A flex of his arms and the shuriken chain shattered, sending both Gozu and Meizu stumbling drunkenly backwards, their flesh cooking, twitching as their muscles struggled to receive signals from their brains once more.

Faster than they could react, than they could recover their wits and attack their true target, it was over. The girl was on them in an instant snapping a spin kick into the side of the nearest chunin's stomach. An ungodly snapping sound resounded across the road, launching the Demon Brother down the road and into a treet. He did not rise again.

Seeing his brother fall, Meizu roared and dove at Tazuna, his claws coming perilously close to gouging out the man's neck-

_Slam._

He never made it; an arm closed around his neck in a full nelson, stopping him cold. Another blow drove him into unconcsiousness.

"Well now," Kakashi grimaced, allowing his captive to slump in his grip. "That was impressive work, you two."

One member of their team hadn't been so lucky. A wet, croaking sound was heard.

"Uh, guys...

Naruto turned, and saw a sea of blood staining the road. He went white.

"KIBA!"

**A/N: Le gasp! Kiba's down! WILL HE SURVIVE?! Putting that aside, I hope you like where I'm taking this. We'll be breaking from canon after this mission, the Chunin Exams won't be coming up so soon in this story. I just feel that there's so much more that could be covered in the interregnum between the Wave mission and the Exam, don't you agree? Now, to answer the questions I'm sure you all are wondering about.**

** Ino's slightly LESS of a Sasuke fangirl in this story, -of course she's still crushing on the broody bastard, but not so much as to let it COMPLETELY affect her ninja career. And as a result, she's just starting to change. Hinata has become Aphrodite because, lets face it, the girl needs confidence. And boy, has she gotten it!**

**Athena's machinations were an annoyance to some, however, and Naruto's put a HARD stop to them. She won't act again without his express permission. This Naruto will NOT be manipulated. He tends to respond to such things with an outrageous amount of violence, in case you've noted. And the Chaos. Its not at all what it seems-this nameless force mentioned in this chapter is merely a prelude to one far more dangerous, perhaps even deadlier than Kaguya herself.**

**Someone asked if Naruto is related to Kratos. Who knows? He may be a great-great-great-greeaaat something or other grandon of the spartan, because, after all, Kratos bedded many women and he lived thousands of years before Naruto and the shinobi peoples existed. Will this affect the story? Who knows?**

**Disclaimer time!**

**This is a slight God of War crossover, most involving the various deities seen in the games, much hilarity, chaos, triumph and pain that is to come. And I own nothing-save the idea. I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading this new tale dear readers, and I hope to hear from you as to what you think of this work! Naruto is essentially Zeus as of now, and Zeus is him-as to the rest of the pantheon and what-who-exactly they will become, well, that remains to be seen now, doesn't it? Pairing undecided! I leave that up to you, dear readers!**

**So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...**

**...Review...Would You Kindly? And of course, enjoy the preview! I worked really hard, so I hope you'll review! I wonder who attains godhood next...cliffhanger incoming!**

**(Preview!)**

_Naruto slowly picked himself up off the ground, growing quietly as his hand stitched itself back together. Heat coursed through him._

_He'd pay for that._

_His eyes shifted from Ino's prone form, still twitching with pain, her hands struggling to hold in her own organs, push them back inside her stomach even as she healed. Then he realized that their adversary was simply laughing at him. Zabuza saw him. He was mocking him. He watched the boy rise, unsurprised by the fact that a hand he'd all but hacked off was simply healing. Yes, he laughed. That was a mistake. That tiny noise was all it took for Naruto to find him in the mist, he could have finished _

_"What's wrong, boy? Are you done yet?"_

_"No." Naruto hissed, his white eyes flashing slitted. All emotion drained from his face. "Not yet."_

_"Don't!" Kakashi's warning fell on deaf ears. _

_Naruto bent his knees into a fighting stance, lifting his left fist just in front of his forehead. His right hand he cocked back, filling it with an unbelievable amount of power, scintilating sparks shooting up and down his arm like a thing alive, writhing and sparking with godlike power._

_This aura blazed around him as he narrowed his brow. Instantly, he kicked off the ground with his right foot, his left knee dashing forward. He swung his right fist, cleanly and precisely, ripping through Momocihi's gut as though it were made of tissue paper, puncturing his stomach until it had torn entirely through his torso, his bloodied fist erupting out the man's back, fingers clenched into a cruel claw. The sword-wielder stumbled forward, his grip on the water prison falling slack, Kakashi tumbling free. Naruto ripped his arm free, leaving the Demon of the Mist to clutch at the gaping hole that was his stomach._

_"There," he said calmly. "I think I'm quite done now."_

_Zabuza gurgled furiously, blood splotching the bandages covering his mouth. "W-What?! You little...?!" Somehow, someway, even with a hole in his stomach, he managed to turn and bring his blade around._

_Naruto calmly traced a thunderbolt to his right hand, and the Head Cleaver slammed harmlessly against the heavenly bolt. Ching! It shattered like to much glass, leaving Momochi clutching at a hilt. Naruto lowered his arm, dispelling the lightning. Zabuza toppled forward, sinking to a knee as he struggled to keep his entrails in._

_There had been no words of warning. There had been neither indulgence nor mockery. _

_Zabuza had not even seen the speed of the attack coming. All he saw were the eyes; those horrible white gems staring down quietly on at him. They showed the missing ninja no fear and no respect, and they revealed neither anger nor revenge, nor even pity. There was n__othing._

_Nothing at all._

_He thought he saw something move in the mists overhead then, something shifting in a nearby tree bough. Haku. Shit. Not now. She'd blow her cover if she moved now! He watched, helpless, as Naruto drew a single blade from his back and drew it back, ready to make the killing cut. Zabuza tried to move, but his body refused to respond. It was all he could do to apply pressure to the wound._

_Still, the blade drew back, ready to end his life. His eyes bulged._

_NO!_

**R&amp;R!=D**


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